


Sky of Atoms

by TeknoGecko



Series: Sky of Atoms [1]
Category: Death Stranding (Video Games), Death Stranding (Video Games) RPF
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Beached Things, F/M, Funny, Gen, Homo Demens (Death Stranding), Multi, OC, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Serious, Slow Burn, Slow Burn Relationship, Timefall, bts - Freeform, scifi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-02-16 01:28:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 80,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21499576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeknoGecko/pseuds/TeknoGecko
Summary: Gene Dawkins is a porter working for the business Brisk HARPY that specializes in transporting medicines and other goods to communities outside the United Cities of America in an effort to expand the UCA's territory post Death Stranding. Higgs, having survived his ordeal on the Beach, has carved out a new life for himself three years after the BT's and Timefall have stopped due to Sam Bridges cutting his connection to Amelie. On route home from a delivery, Gene encounters Higgs and the two get caught in dangerous webs of confrontation as the past that Higgs is running from comes back to haunt him all the while Gene is running from her future.
Relationships: Higgs Monaghan/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Sky of Atoms [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1549666
Comments: 218
Kudos: 288





	1. Gene 1.0

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I'm writing this fanfic mostly out of fun because of how much I enjoyed Death Stranding as a game, and due to the fact I wish there was more characterization given to Higgs. I'm kind of figuring the plot out as I go, but so far I got some solid ideas I want to play with. I don't have a set time for when I'll be updating as I have a busy life, but I'll post when I have time and when the mood strikes. Again, seriously, thank you! It's nice to share content like this once more as I haven't written a fanfic in years.

**GENE 1.0**

“Welcome Gene Chromos Dawkins to Bridges Safe House no. 312.” The monotone mechanic voice drawled overhead in the facility as Gene sighed and departed down the elevator of the safe house. Security reasons be damned, it got old hearing her name dragged out by whatever new greeting system tech had installed. Gene chalked her annoyance up to the long journey she had trekked to deliver a cargo of vaccines to a small tribe outside the United Cities of America, a small token of peace to get the tiny colony to consider joining the nation and the Chiral Network. She didn’t see it happening anytime soon. Though the people were thankful for her services, they remained skeptical of the UCA regardless of their successes during the last three years since the BT’s and Timefall flew the coup. 

As Gene arrived into her private room for the night, she briefly wondered what happened to the BTs. The Death Stranding had been catastrophic, and as quickly as it came and decimated humanity, it upped and left. Rumor was that Sam Bridges, a legend in the porter industry, had a hand in it going away given his connections to the top tiers in the UCA, but Gene somewhat doubted it. She never met Sam, but he was human. Human beings for the most part were weak. The Death Stranding proved that point, not to mention after the UCA became a united nation, Sam Bridges disappeared. Most said he died due to his long journey to the West and East, and Gene realistically believed it. No one had heard from him since, and no one in any porter industry had been able to carry the torch of being exceptional couriers. 

Gene was well above average given her unique position being a Brisk HARPY employee, going to small communities outside the Chiral Network. She was tactful, went above and beyond, but she was no Sam Bridges. It was something she desperately wished her employer and other couriers would quit comparing themselves to. No one would be able to take the mantel, but one could give the world the next best thing. The UCA was expanding after all; within twenty years, being a porter was estimated to become obsolete once the UCA could reclaim all of the previous United States territory and expand their technology back to what it was power wise before the Death Stranding occurred. Gene smirked at the thought of being able to retire within her lifetime from this delivery gig and move on to greener pastures, whatever that may be. Then again, she wasn’t sure what kind of direction to take after the fact. Gene was no scientist like her parents were, never got into it nor did they have the time to educate properly. Gene made up for it in her wit and her talent to get people to open up. For some reason she ended up playing therapist to a lot of folks. Something about her, be it spirit or what have you, compelled people to dump their problems onto Gene. She accepted it with a grain of salt, despite how much it could get overwhelming. After all, that perk of hers is what landed her a job with Brisk HARPY and their quest to help small colonies that would otherwise lack contact with the outside world. 

“Shower, mail, then bed. Shower, mail, then bed.” Gene repeated to herself happily as she threw down some of her cargo and began ripping off her clothes as if she had been trapped in a straight jacket. The grime and debris from the last week of traveling was enough to make an elephant leave the room. Gene’s nose scrunched up upon lifting her arm and catching a whiff of the musk that emitted from her right armpit. 

“Holy fuck,” Gene exclaimed and tilted her head away from herself. She was no clean freak, even as a child, she loved getting her hands dirty, but even she felt repulsed by how far she let herself go to escape some MULE’s who tried hijacking her cargo on this delivery run. Her hands rummaged through her short hair to pick out mud and other debris before she hopped in the shower. 

A good hour and a half later, Gene was sitting up on the bed, towel wrapped around her waist as she opened up the computer log on her cuff link to check out the UCA database along with her emails from clients and Brisk HARPY. Nothing really new besides reviews, likes, and a couple thank you notes. That was good enough for her. She didn’t want to go on another run anytime soon, very much yearning to get back to her home in the West. Having real food, and not some 3D printed knockoff or instant rations was what she looked forward to the most going back. 

Before turning in for the night, Gene saw an exclamation icon pop up in the lower right corner of the UCA database. Furrowing her brows, she clicked on the icon. Thanks to the Chiral Network of the UCA, new alert systems went off often to all the cities and safe houses whenever danger or what have you occurred that could be detrimental to the UCA and existing colonies. There was an image attached of a man and a small article detailing the issue. 

_ Warning to those within the UCA and surrounding areas, this is a message from the UCA defense to be on the lookout for an associate of the terrorist group Homo Demens. His name is Deeter Baltimore, and is said to be armed and dangerous. Homo Demens and those under his command have been charged with committing yet another act of terrorism in Outer Knot Haven by slaughtering seven evolutionary biologists. If seen, keep your distance and contact the local Inquisitors at the nearest city you come across. The UCA defense team will keep you updated on the status of Homo Demens and others who threaten the UCA and our allies. Please be sure to consistently check for updates if you are a porter. Best wishes and god speed.  _

Gene made a face, shaking her head when she got done with the message. Tomorrow was going to be a rough one. Outer Knot Haven was the closest city to where she lived, and as much as she didn’t really believe in anything deity wise, she prayed to whatever the powers that be that she wouldn’t have to deal with bullshit from terrorists. MULE’s were already going to be plentiful in her last trek home, and adding terrorists into the mix was like pouring gasoline on a bonfire in her eyes. She had to hand it to the group, they were stepping their game up. 

“Seven more kills. Jesus, how long are these fucks gonna keep it up?” She said aloud, talking to herself to collect her thoughts. Regardless of the BTs and the Timefall leaving the earth, folks still had to contend with people who were not at all thrilled about the UCA’s mission among other things.

Homo Demens lost power since their leader had died, and they disbanded for about two years until something rekindled whatever motivation they had to continue with their cause. Gene tried to remember what the groups original intents were for getting the band back together, but drew up a blank only recalling that now in the present, they were going to attempt to disband the Chiral Network and UCA by systematically killing off key people in the united cities and colonies. That was the alleged news anyway from what other porters and passerbys had told her. She wouldn’t be surprised if it was due to retaliation because of Edge Knot City being reclaimed by the UCA three years ago. 

Yawning, Gene stretched her arms and lazily fell back into the bed, the computer system on her cuff link turning off as she thonked it against the metal railing on the side of the bed. The towel around her waist cascaded off her body as she allowed sleep to take over. She was going to need the Z’s for whatever danger lay ahead on the trip home, worrying about putting on pajamas be damned. She earned this. 

“Have a safe trip, Gene Chromos Dawkins.” The system chimed as Gene grumbled, adjusting her gear and shirt as she made her way up the elevator of the safe house and began her venture out to the world. It was roughly 6 in the morning. Knowing how the MULE’s in this area worked, they didn’t like getting up at the crack of dawn to screw with porters. It was at Gene’s expense though, she was more of a night owl. 

Gene’s nostrils flared when she caught a whiff of fresh petrichor, allowing the earthy scent to invade her nose and relaxed her shoulders. She loved the smell of the ground after it rained. Even when the BTs and Timefall were around, nothing could beat the aroma. Since the Timefall left, Gene was able to enjoy it more often instead of hiding out. She glanced up, seeing the sun was barely beginning to rise over the mountain range to the East. The morning was filled with a dense fog that snaked its way through the terrain. She had to be careful, needed to watch out for rocks and terrain that could screw up her shoes. She let out a sigh, beating herself mentally for not stocking up on an extra pair before the rush delivery to the colony. Her shoes were beginning to wear out. A couple rough tumbles, and the soles would be withered down to nothing. She had to be cautious. 

The sound of life surrounding Gene as she began the journey home was pleasant. Since the BTs were gone, birds came back to areas in drones once they realized the Timefall couldn’t hurt them no longer. Their soft caws and cooing preens echoed throughout the rocky terrain. Plants and even some small trees looked down upon Gene as she gazed up at the elongated branches and avian flocks that made the new woodlands their home. She wished her mother and father could see this, being plant biologists they would have had a field day seeing the earth was recovering at an impeccable rate. Gene recalled hearing at the colonies that even with the technology to speed up plant production, it would take another ten years before forests and such could make a full return, but seeing the small patches of it taking root made her hopeful along with others. Ecosystems could be established again, giving the world people once knew a second chance at life. 

Upon exiting the small forest area, Gene saw the various rock formations ahead. She swallowed, sizing up the terrain as if it were a person ready to combat her. She looked back down at her shoes, lifting her feet to check the soles before breathing out, putting a game face on, and moving forward. For the most part she was doing great to avoid hitting sharp points, and whenever there was flat ground, Gene took advantage of it to spare her shoes from getting ripped apart. It went on for hours, the rough rocks barely smoothed out by the rain and the dense mud began to take a toll. Gene stopped for a moment, looking ahead and seeing the valley floor below. She was close to home now, five hours left of walking. She was thankful the colonies didn’t have her take any cargo back to Brisk HARPY otherwise she was looking at another day or two of sleeping in a safe house. Gene had great endurance, but stack on a couple extra pounds of packages or what have you, and she felt akin to a snail moving at slow pace unfathomable to humans. She reminded herself again, Brisk HARPY hired her for her ability to connect with people, not that she was on time. She made a face recalling her employer Stark getting on her case for not being on the clock, but Stark did give praise at the fact that her cargo took less than five percent damage every delivery. That was no easy task since she was one of the few couriers that had to go through not only rough terrain, but hot spots for MULE’s. Gene was now one out of five people that were left on the expansion team to the West. The other original twenty on the team had upped and quit when the MULE’s began to converge more with others of their brethren once they had been kicked out of the Eastern areas of the UCA permanently. 

As Gene began making her way downhill, her eyes squinted as she could see people ahead and then through the fog, could see the orange uniforms of some MULE’s along with their bikes and big rigs. Eyes widening, she lunged for the nearest boulder to hide behind, but ended up losing her balance and slipped down, causing her left foot to meet the end of a jagged rock that pierced the sole of her shoe and went into the soft flesh of her foot. Gene let out a hiss, biting on her tongue to avoid letting a scream out. Her leg throbbed as the pain traveled upwards, as if the nerves in the entirety of her leg were being electrocuted. She could feel the warmth of tears falling down her eyes as she looked ahead, seeing the MULE’s were getting closer, and jerked her foot upwards in a painful tug, allowing her to escape and climb back to the large boulder she intended on hiding behind. 

Gene’s body slouched against the side of the boulder as she panted, feeling the pain began to subside a little until she flexed her left foot, causing an electric shock wave of hurt at the point of entry. She covered her mouth with her right hand, letting out a soft yell into it before taking a deep breath to lift her foot to assess the damage. The wound was deep, the rock had nearly gotten to the bone. Gene could feel as much. She quickly took her pack off and began to rummage through, searching for something to patch her up to at least give her enough time to make it through the MULE’s. 

“Fuck me,” She exclaimed quietly, seeing that she neglected to pick up any necessaries at the safe house she was last at. Supplies were running low, and since Gene had done this route hundreds of times now, she figured she had it in a bag and didn’t need to take anything from the safe house. Her cockiness got the better of her, and now she felt backed into a corner. Swallowing her pride, Gene took out some bandages and some rubbing alcohol to at least tide her over temporarily. The stinging from the alcohol dare say hurt more than the actual rock piercing her flesh, but she tensed up and went through with it, making sure blood wasn’t pouring out of the wound every few seconds by applying pressure before wrapping it up with the bandages she had on her person. 

Gene allowed herself to take in a few deep breaths before she peered around the corner edge of the boulder, seeing the MULE’s were still heavily present. She couldn’t see well in the fog, but figured there had to be a good twelve at least, probably twenty elsewhere. It was always best to guesstimate a higher amount than a lower when it came to how MULE’s traveled these days. Sweat trickling down her forehead, Gene squinted yet again seeing another group coming into the picture. There were five of them, with guns and wearing all black save for the signature glimmers of gold on their gear and get up. They approached the MULE’s, and it became obvious who the pack of men in black belonged to. 

“Homo Demens, shit.” Gene muttered as she turned back around, now fiddling with the radar mechanism on her cuff link. This was a risky move given her position, but Gene felt she didn’t have much choice. They were gonna catch her anyway regardless with her own tech or whatever they had at their disposal. The radar would give Gene a better look position wise where she was at compared to them and at least give her a chance of a running start, regardless of the fog being in the way. She managed to send a small shock wave blast through the area, seeing the blue outline of bodies show up on the screen of her cuff link. It would only be a matter of time before the MULE’s tech and Homo Demens picked up on it, so she had to be fast. 

Before Gene could look further, a hand came slamming down on her cuff link, turning the system off. Gene quickly raised her head, seeing before her cloaked figure with a finger to where his mouth should have been. 

“Sh, sh, sh,” The hooded man whispered in a hushed tone before he too peered around the same edge as Gene had moments ago before turning their position back to her. Gene swallowed, but kept her gaze firm in a glare as the hooded figure lowered more. If she was going to be taken down, she wasn’t going to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing her scared before the end. Gene could see his face now, the small creases of his form was caked with mud, an ink like substance, and she could make out the patches of scruff that littered the sides of his face and chin. Her eyes darted up towards the man’s blue eyes, taking in the strange equation tattoos over his forehead and eyebrows along with a small tuft of his brown hair. He smiled wearily at her before his features took on a more intense stance. 

“Honey, keep that thing off or you’re gonna get us both killed.” He said in a smooth drawl, then peered over the boulder real quick before gesturing. “If you want to live to see another day, you’re gonna have to follow me darlin’.” 

  
  



	2. Higgs 1.0

**HIGGS 1.0**

Higgs’s body was swaying in the ocean, gently being cradled against the small waves. The water neither warm or cold, just present and in the moment. It was the safest he had felt in a long time. Subconsciously in the corner of his mind he wondered if this was what it felt like to be in the womb, to feel secure in the fact that something higher than you were keeping you from the harshness of the world outside. He could almost picture the sound of his mother's heartbeat, and how it echoed throughout the darkness he was in. Whatever comforts he had quickly subsided when from the depths of the water, a zombie version of his father rose up and opened its mouth, engulfing Higgs into a bottomless void. He could feel the air leaving his lungs, as if the very essence of his being was slowly being sucked into oblivion. He struggled against the current, desperately trying to find a way out and as soon as he saw the sunlight glimmering on the surface of the ocean water, he burst through the top, taking in a sharp breath before slug like humanoids began to pull at him from all sides of his body. They screamed murderer and coward endlessly at him as if that would somehow bring them all back to life. 

Higgs struggled, tried to break free from the tar as his limbs were being pulled apart. He screamed as a world on fire flashed before his eyes, decimating forests and screaming animals and humans filled his ears, his father laughing at him the whole time yelling he had told him so before an image of Amelie smiling at him and shoving her hand into his chest to rip out his heart all but made him numb. 

Higgs shot up from his bed in a cold sweat, panting heavily as his body convulsed and shuddered. He groaned, his arms wrapping around himself to keep the jolts from hurting further. Tears flowed down his face as he tightened his eyes shut, rocking back and forth in a childlike fashion. He stayed that way for a solid hour, riding the wave out of his DOOMs withdrawal. It was only when the shocks down his spine subsided did he finally managed to get up and reach for a canteen of water on the floor. He chugged at it like a person finding an oasis in a dessert then tossed the metal container across the room. It hit the wall with a loud thud as he coughed, grumbling into his pillow once he collapsed. His right hand gripped the shallow excuse of a blanket that covered his body as he adjusted, lying on his back as his tired eyes searched the ceiling. Higgs was looking for any patterns he could find in the old place, something to bring him back to the present as he coughed and trembled from the tiny goosebumps that littered his skin. 

It had been three years since Higgs got his ass handed to him by Sam Bridges. Three years since he tried to wipe the slate clean of all life with the Extinction Entity at his side. Three years since he lost his powers granted by Amelie, and three years since those infected with DOOMs began to suffer from withdrawals due to the BTs and such being severed of their connection to this world. It felt longer than that to Higgs ever since the withdrawal had hit him. It felt like an eternity of chronic pain, and nothing seemed to stave it off. He had tried everything medication wise, even going so far as to dabble in illegal substances on the occasion, but it only made things worse. He blinked a few times, taking in a deep breath as he wiped away at his forehead, gently going over the tattoos covering him as he pondered if Sam Bridges himself was going through hell like he was. Regardless of the gossip most porters spoke of in the area, Higgs knew Sam was out there somewhere alive hiding out, much like himself. 

“Stupid fuck, playing Eagle Scout only to run away from the very people he served cause he knew deep down they were creeps.” Higgs said aloud, talking to himself begrudgingly as he swallowed and forced himself up from the bed. He coughed into his palm a few times, sniffling as he threw on a shirt, adjusted his pants, and slid his feet into his boots near the edge of the bed. Higgs walked out of his sleeping quarters and into the small living space he carved out for himself at an abandoned facility. Ever since he lost to Sam, Higgs couldn’t go back to his home. Given the name he made for himself due to his terrorist affiliation with Homo Demens not to mention his conquest to have the Final Stranding arrive, he was very much a dead man walking according to the UCA. No one knew he was alive however, Fragile inadvertently made sure of that during their final encounter on the Beach. 

As Higgs rummaged around the small fridge for something to eat, he recalled that moment on the Beach. Fragile hovering over him like a proud hawk getting to swipe down at its prey. He hated having to look at her, reminded of everything she stood for and everything he had done. The soft caress of her fingers to his face haunted him, because in that brief moment of affection she offered, Higgs realized he fucked up royally. He was still as hopeless as ever about the state of the world, humanity alongside it, but that touch gave him some sort of false hope that regardless of what transpired, everything would be okay. Higgs loathed Fragile for it, especially given the fact he had been touched starved as well due to the abusive upbringing his daddy provided to him for years. He was thankful Fragile punched him soon after, snapping out of that hope if only brief. 

Fragile left Higgs on the Beach with the gun after shooting near his head. He for sure thought this was the end, and as much as he didn’t want to give the satisfaction of admitting it, Higgs knew he deserved it. Fragile deserved her revenge and he was in no position to stop her. He recalled opening his eyes, not seeing death had come for him but saw Fragile’s face once more, she growled towards Higgs, eyebrows furrowed into a tight glare as she shook her head like a parent disappointed in a child. 

“I’m not like you Higgs. I don’t take the easy way out. Regardless of the things you’ve done to me and the others you killed, you don’t deserve my wrath. You lost and if you want to escape the Beach, do it yourself. I will play no part in your life any longer, and you will no longer play a part in mine. If I were you, I’d hate living with myself.” That was all she said before teleporting herself away from the Beach, leaving Higgs alone with his thoughts and the realization he had no more power. Amelie no longer shared her strength with him. She had turned on Higgs, built him up as this great harbinger of destruction only to tear it down and leave him a weakling. 

Higgs didn’t hesitate taking the gun and aiming it at his heart, shooting it directly. The pain was brief, and a rush of blood clouded his eyes as Higgs accepted death and welcomed it with open arms, however he wasn’t greeted by a void or rest. Amelie was staring right at him, he was back on the shore of the Beach but floated over his body. Surprised and confused, Amelie reached out and touched his forehead without saying a word, only giving a smile as Higgs woke up back into the world of the living, wounds and all from his fight with Sam healed and with the gun Fragile left. He felt rain for the first time without the Timefall, opening his parched mouth to take in whatever his tongue could catch as he laughed, then fell to his knees crying. His fists hitting the ground over and over until he tumbled from exhaustion. 

Higgs sighed pushing back the memories, eating the last piece of bread he kept near the back of the fridge. Today he was going to have to make a supply run, knowing he was reaching his limit. Things would be so much easier if he could request a porter to come out and drop off food at his terminal, but given his predicament, Higgs couldn’t risk being found to be alive. With how strong the UCA had gotten, and with Homo Demens under new management and seeing him as a traitor to the cause now, he had to rely on himself. Joining a colony was not a choice either since he had notoriety. They’d turn him in to the Inquisitors, the UCA’s police and defense team, just as soon as they’d see his face. Living the life of a loner wasn’t so bad however. Higgs enjoyed his own company, finding entertainment in the little things and finding peace in the fact he didn’t have to take orders from anyone. The only shitty thing was having to get everything himself. Higgs had to remind himself that if he could do it before when he was living with his daddy, he could do it again. He was always a survivor, regardless of whatever death wish he carried. 

It wasn’t always this easy, living life like this. At first when the BTs and Timefall disappeared, Higgs fell into a depression of sorts. He was ready to die. He had no hope, and Amelie and her being the Extinction Entity is what drove him and gave Higgs a new goal in life, now it had been snatched away. What was the point in living on when humanity was going to dry out and die off anyway within a couple thousand years? What was the point in him as a person living when the life expectancy was short in the UCA? What was the point of living in a world with no critters besides humans and their need to cling onto the past and false hope, the very mess that got them into this extinction predicament in the first place? Massive extinctions had happened five times within the earth's history. Higgs didn’t need to be a scientist to realize it was only natural, a cycle, and humanity was just denying the inevitable. He blamed it on the Western notions of their fear of death, thanatophobia. The original United States was filled with people that did whatever necessary to escape it, even going so far as to destroy their own environment to achieve some sort of immortality at the expense of others. He hated them for it. Maybe if the people back then had accepted the cycle, maybe he never would have ended up losing his parents. Maybe his uncle wouldn’t have become his daddy and raised him. Maybe he could have had a normal life. Hell, maybe he wouldn’t have been so suckered into Amelie’s desire to fulfill the Last Stranding. 

Higgs shook his head, downing an energy drink after finishing off the last crumbs of bread. Here he was being a hypocrite living in the past. He was always a forward thinker, but the past has come back to haunt him in the form of DOOM’s withdrawal. This was the sixth one Higgs had in the month, which was better than how it had been at the start. He recalled going almost two weeks without sleep because of how horrible the pain and dreams were, having to use tranqs among other things to knock himself out. It was getting better, slowly. 

“I better get this bullshit over with,” Higgs said to himself as he walked back to his sleeping quarters and prepared himself to go outside in order to gather supplies. Briefly, he glanced at his signature black and gold cloak. The one that emulated the crowns of the pharaohs of ancient Egypt. He missed wearing the thing, but settled for the black one that had blue coding on the shoulders. Higgs customized it further once upon a time, designing several eyes of Horus on the interior. Higgs wasn’t a religious man by any means, but in a way he was spiritual and the Egyptian myths and symbols gave some form of comfort. He didn’t feel right without at least having something akin to it on his person. 

He took some of his old porter gear with him that way stocking up would be easy if he hit a jackpot supply wise. Higgs had gotten good at stealing from MULE’s since they began congregating together in the West. He was able to get a hold of one of a kind items and food that lasted a long while, mostly genetically modified fruit and such that could withstand the new environment created by the BTs and Timefall. Higgs missed having pizza whenever he pleased, but it was a commodity he couldn’t afford to have without getting the assistance of a porter. 

Venturing outside and away from the terminal, Higgs didn’t take his time to admire the sunrise becoming more prominent in his neck of the woods. He quickly went to work, walking around for thirty minutes while glancing at plants and pieces of scraps left behind by MULE’s and porters alike. Occasionally he’d bend down, examining things and either tossing them into a pouch connected to his belt or would pelt them over his shoulder. Being a loner for the last three years, Higgs learned what scraps were useful for building things and which ones couldn’t be bothered with. He was amazed at how quickly he picked up on the skill, then again once upon a time, he had his own porter company; so it wasn’t too far fetched. 

About five hours into his run, and Higgs spotted a pack of MULE’s near the valley floor, heading towards the rough patch of terrain filled with rocks that marked the start of the East. He carefully watched them from the cliff above he was on, observing their movements and how far they were staying together. If he timed things right, he could easily sneak down and gather whatever goods they had and make a beeline for his shelter. The plan was nearly foolproof. Higgs had done this dozens of times now, and he could feel confidence radiating as he took a long strand of rope off his belt and began to find a spot where he could attach it and climb down. 

Upon reaching the valley floor, Higgs immediately had to duck into the long grass nearby. About a hundred feet away, he saw that the MULE’s were not alone, but had company. Homo Demens. He grit his teeth as his brows furrowed into a glare thinking about them. Once upon a time, they were his allies and subordinates, now they were an enemy just as much as Higgs was one to Sam Bridges. Higgs couldn’t believe it, seeing that the group had fallen so far as to work with MULE’s to get their dirty work taken care of. When he was in charge, they wouldn’t have done no such thing. He blamed Deeter for this, one of his comrades that rose up in rank when the group found Higgs and realized he was powerless. 

“Did you pack rats get the cargo Deeter asked for?” One of the Homo Demens members asked, sounding out of breath but very much irritable. 

“Yes, but it wasn’t easy. I hope your leader keeps his end of the bargain and keeps sending more porters our way. We’re running thin out here.” The Mule said begrudging. 

“Yeah, yeah, he’s working on it. The man is busy, but don’t worry. Unlike our predecessor, Deeter always keeps his promises, especially those that show their loyalty.” 

Higgs couldn’t see too well in the foggy atmosphere, but made out a rather large container that was being handed off to the group. He couldn’t be sure, but it looked like one specifically made for transporting bombs and the like. Before he could observe the exchange further, he heard something coming from his right. Rocks began to tumble down the huge wall of the cliff he cascaded down earlier. He cautiously looked up, seeing that something was there, but hiding. Quickly, he turned his attention back towards the MULE’s and his ex comrades, seeing they too picked up on the sound.

“Probably an animal. We are getting more deer coming back into the area.” One of the MULE’S offered as an explanation, only to be interjected by the odd gesturing of another. 

“No, my scanner picked up on something. Someone is out there.” 

Higgs double checked himself, he for sure knew that he didn’t bring anything extra gadgety on his trip so as not to be seen or picked up on in case MULE’s or what have you had tech to detect intruders and porters alike. No, this had to be coming from whoever knocked down the rocks, and whoever sounded the alarm was gonna get them both killed. 

“Search the area, kill whoever or whatever it might be.” One of the Homo Demen’s commanded as both groups dispersed, partnering up and expanding outward with their weapons and such at the ready. Higgs wasted no time, he concentrated hard, closing his eyes as he managed to tap into whatever little power he had left from Amelie, and teleported himself back to the top of the cliff he was on. Panting, Higgs bent down to get the rope back and then began his search for whoever the intruder was. He had to get them to turn off their tech otherwise they’d be a sitting duck and screw over Higgs supply run. No doubt it had to be a porter, probably a newbie; at least that was Higgs assumption on the matter as he scaled and jumped from rock to rock, climbing on the occasion.

Eventually, he found his target. As soon as he saw the human shape, he jumped down and quickly his hand went for the top part of the cuff link he saw and he turned the machine off. The persons face peered up at him and he quickly shushed them before looking back over the boulder they were hiding behind. Higgs could see that the MULE’s were having a hard time picking up on the location now, and had stopped to mess with their equipment to see if things were faulty. His focus went back to the porter, and before getting ready to patronize the damn idiot, Higgs took a moment to observe who this person was.

Higgs hadn’t had any contact in a long time, and seeing the short haired woman before him made Higgs smile despite the fact she was giving him daggers. He could see the outline of Brisk HARPY on her shoulder. She couldn’t have been maybe a few years younger than himself. Her eyes were pretty, Higgs noted to himself before he snapped out of it, focusing once more on the fact they were sitting ducks. 

“Honey, keep that thing off or you’re gonna get us both killed.” He said in a gentle drawl as to not scare her off, then peered over the boulder again. The MULE’s were still trying to figure out what was going on, and Higgs plus the delivery girl needed to get a move on while they were still distracted.

“If you want to live to see another day, you’re gonna have to follow me darlin’.” Higgs said in a whisper as he gestured for her to go, but the gal shook her head causing Higgs to raise an eyebrow at her suspiciously. 

“I can’t move quick enough. My foot--the shoe broke, rock went inside.” She said worriedly as Higgs looked down while the gal lifted her leg up and showed him the deep gash that was at the bottom of her left foot. It was bleeding through the bandages she had patched on, and he could see a trail of blood left behind. No doubt if the MULE’s didn’t pick up on that soon, his old gang would. Higgs made a face, wincing a little as he tisked at her while shaking his head. 

“Yeah, that doesn’t look good at all honey.” 

“I don’t need you to tell me that!” Her voice rose, and Higgs quickly placed the palm of his hand over her mouth and shushed her. 

“Keep your voice down. They’ll kill you if they find you. I heard them. They aren’t after whatever cargo you might have, they want you dead. If we work together, we can get out of here in one piece and you can go back to your route.” Higgs offered as he observed the gal once more while taking his hand away from her mouth. He smirked a little, seeing that she had a lot of spunk for a porter, something that reminded Higgs of himself once upon a time when he was doing deliveries. 

“How do I know you’re not one of them?” She asked cautiously as Higgs snorted and chuckled. Go figure she would be hesitant. It was only natural for a porter in her position to be. Higgs shook his head.

“Trust me hon, if I were with them you’d already be dead. Look, we’re wasting too much time. We got a five minute window to get the hell out of dodge before their radar picks up on your cufflink, you’re wounded so you don’t have much choice but to come with me.” 

“You could just leave me and save yourself. You seem capable, so why the hell do you want to help?” 

Higgs’s head tilted playfully as he rested a hand on her shoulder, giving a pat before she shrugged him off. 

“You’re jeopardizing my supply run being here. The sooner I get you out, the sooner I can get what I need and go home.” Higgs said. 

“Could just kill me and get it over with. Most of you loners do that.” The porter retorted. 

“Now hon, where would the fun be in that? Besides if I left your corpse stranded on this here cliff side, they’d know I’m here too. That’s not very smart if you ask me.” Higgs countered as the porter gal peered over the boulder quickly before looking back at him, giving a nod. 

“Fine. What do you purpose I do?” She asked, her tone sounding defeated as Higgs smiled briefly before his gaze turned serious, he began to kneel down further to the point where he was below eye level. 

“Get on my back, don’t worry. I can carry you.” Higgs said softly as he kept his eyes on her, his gaze neutral as he could see she was calculating her options before limping towards him, slinging her body onto him. Higgs grunted, shifting her around a bit before he slowly rose to his feet. Luckily for them, the fog was still obscuring the area so the Homo Demens and MULE’s couldn’t see them for now. Once settled, Higgs had her swing her arms over his shoulders and around his neck so she could hang on while his hands went down to her legs around his waist and gripped them to help keep her steady against his body.

“What’s your name?” Higgs asked quietly. 

“Gene.” The gal said tiredly as he nodded. 

“Well Gene, this is gonna be rough so bare with me’.”


	3. Gene 2.0

**GENE 2.0**

For as lanky the loner appeared to be, Gene was surprised he was able to carry her all the while scaling the monolith of rocks and debris in the area. Occasionally, he’d hit a snag or would land too rough causing her to shake and grunt. Gene’s grip tightened around the loner’s neck, causing him to let out a small gasp as his voice hitched. 

“As much as I’m into that, I don’t think choking me out is a good idea right now considering the circumstances.” His tone was drooling with flirtation, causing Gene to go red in the back as she gave him a swift kick to the side, not enough to hurt but to get the idea across she wasn’t in the mood for games. 

“Ouch. Did they teach you that in charm school?” He retorted, chuckling like a kid toying around with another. Gene sighed into the back of his neck before resting her head against the loners body as he continued to carry her off. For a loner, and given how dirty his face looked, he smelled clean like he took care of himself rather well. 

“You might want to tone it down being a horn dog before your brain overheats and gives us both away to the MULE’s and Homo Demens.” Gene forewarned. 

“Hm, could always chisel some ice off your heart to cool me down.” 

“I’m this close to dropping off your back and taking my chances.” Gene said firmly as the grip the loner had on her legs grew tighter. 

“Now that won’t do us any good, and you know it. Besides, isn’t it nice catching a break from doing all the walking? I bet a porter like you never had to deliver a body to an incinerator much less haul a live person on your back.”

“Am I supposed to feel bad for you carrying me all of a sudden?” 

“You could be a little more grateful. I’m saving both our asses.” He said as a matter of fact, and Gene, being tired and feeling the pain ebbing more in her foot decided to digress. She was in no position to argue, much less give more comebacks and retorts. The loner was an odd one, and had circumstances been different, Gene wouldn’t be riding on his back right now. It was drilled into Brisk HARPY employees to not trust most folks unless it was clearly obvious they were porters themselves. The man carrying her was a Lone Dog as the colonists would call them; people who didn’t fit in with the communities or were not part of the UCA either due to personal reasons or otherwise. In the back of Gene’s mind, despite how helpful he was being, knew it was just as risky to be putting her life in the hands of a Lone Dog as much as it would be if she were caught by the MULE’s or Homo Demens. She dreaded when this would be over, wondering what he’d do to her once he got her out of the way with whatever he intended on doing to the groups. 

“You okay up there anyhow?” The loner asked in a calm sigh, showing some form of concern as Gene grunted from him making a jump towards a big rock that needed to be climbed carefully. She tried not to grip around his neck too tight like before, deciding to put more pressure on his sides instead with her legs so she could stay on him. It was painful nonetheless, and her wounded foot made sure to let her know given the pulses of nerves firing off all over. 

“Yeah, I’m hanging in there. No pun intended.” Gene said in a playful tone, getting the loner to let out a small laugh. She wasn’t sure what to make of him still. He seemed to flip flop, one moment being flirty and condescending, the next giving a crap. That spelled danger and then some due to the unpredictable nature he already displayed, but Gene had to hope despite how creepy he came across that his intentions were good. They were so far. 

“What’s your name?” Gene asked quietly as the loner made it up to the top of the rock, pausing for a bit to not only catch his breath but to scan the area. There was a long pause of hesitation before he replied to her, as if he were nervous as to how she’d react. 

“Higgs,” he said then started to get a move on once more. “May I ask why a porter such as yourself is all the way out West in this area?” 

Gene had nothing to hide. She decided to tell him as much, figuring it would be boring anyhow. “I had a delivery run to some of the colonies. They needed medicine because of a flu outbreak. I had to be quick so I took this route. I’ve gone through here before, but with better planning and luck.” 

“Strange.” Higgs said. 

“How so?” Gene asked curiously. 

“I come through this neck of the woods often looking for things. I figured I would have bumped into you or another porter. Sides’ I never heard of Brisk HARPY, they new?” Higgs asked as he jumped down a small cliff, landing firmly while looking around before continuing his trek. 

Gene found it odd he never heard of her employers. Sure, they were not popular compared to the likes of Fragile Express or Bridges, but they were well known in the West at this point.  _ Was he that much out of the loop? _ She thought to herself, knowing that preppers were well known for that, but Lone Dogs normally kept up with the times regardless of staying away from folks. 

“Brisk HARPY has been around since the BTs and the Timefall left. We take care of shipments and deliveries going out West to colonies and those that have yet to join the UCA.”

“Yet to join,” Higgs repeated in a condescending tone as Gene’s pulse began to rise from the reaction. “Sounds like they aren’t giving folks much choice these days to live the lives they want.” 

“No one is forcing them, but at this point not joining the UCA is kind of like shooting yourself in the foot.” Gene explained.

“Much like what you did not too long ago?” Higgs countered with a chuckle as Gene growled at the remark. 

“I already feel stupid enough as it is. This delivery wasn’t my first rodeo, but I know I fucked up good. You don’t have to rub salt in the wound.” 

“I question if this wound is your foot were talking about or your ego little miss.” 

_ Damn, he’s fucking insufferable. _ Gene thought to herself, and decided not to grace him with anymore small talk. It was probably for the best anyway considering they were still within the valley floor and the MULE’s and Homo Demens were out looking for them. 

Sixty minutes of silence later, and Gene found herself below another set of steep rocks and a cliff with a small creek running alongside. There was a long rope and a ladder already in place, no doubt she figured Higgs had this set up a long time ago. The ladder looked worn out, but sturdy enough to hold them. Gene recognized the creek and realized Higgs and her went around the MULE’s and Homo Demens and were on the other side of the valley floor. She was amazed at how quick Higgs gotten them both there. Had nothing happened to her foot, Gene knew it would take her a few hours especially with scaling the rock formations that Higgs did in a breeze with her in tow. Some part of her was a little jealous of his endurance, but mostly she was filled with curiosity as to how he got that good. 

“It’s going to be a bit tricky climbing up with you being the backseat driver. Do you think you can do this part yourself?” He asked, all the while kneeling down so Gene could get off his back. Gene limped on her injured foot upon getting off of Higgs’s back, careful not to have the sole touch the ground for fear of causing more harm to the injury. Her eyes gazed up, studying the rope and ladder. 

“I think I got it in a bag as long as I’m careful with where I put my left leg.” Gene said, feeling confident at the very least she’d be able to pull it off. Sure, she couldn’t run without Higgs’s help, but she could still climb. Her upper body strength was decent due to her life as a porter. 

“Better get to it then, I’ll be right behind you.” Higgs said as he gestured an arm out, giving a tilt with his head towards the ladder telling Gene to go for it. Gene didn’t hesitate and limped her way over, making sure her grip was secure as she began to climb. The ladder was a good one hundred and twenty feet high with another fifty being where the rope started. The cliff itself was almost two hundred feet up. It was going to be a hell of a climb, but it’s not like she had much choice in the matter. 

Gene was about a quarter way up the ladder when she heard a commotion below. She looked down, seeing Higgs with his hands raised as a couple of MULE’s had weapons pointed towards him. Her eyes widened, not recalling the MULE’s in this area being too heavily armed before. They had to have gotten the weapons from Homo Demens. Speaking of which, one of the members showed up. The fog from the morning was drifting into the valley floor at this hour, allowing Gene to see where she was climbing but her vision of what was transpiring below was impaired. She swallowed nervously, not sure if she should continue or not. She also worried about Higgs. He didn’t appear to be armed at all, and at this point was as good as dead given how outnumbered he was. 

“Well, I’ll be a son of a bitch! Didn’t expect to see you here Higgs. How is it going living the life of a slumdog?” The Homo Demens member replied with poisonous enthusiasm. The greeting was loud enough that Gene could hear from where she was positioned. 

_ How the hell did they know Higgs?  _ The loner seemed to be many things, but affiliated with terrorists seemed a little out of character even having known him for a short time. Then again, perhaps she was too gullible to think Higgs was just a rag tag Lone Dog that had one too many flirtatious quips. 

“Oh, David. I didn’t see you there! I can’t complain. It pays the bills.” Gene saw Higgs shrug and could imagine he was giving a smile towards the Homo Demens member. “You still taking orders from Deeter?” 

“Of course. He was more-- _ competent _ than you could hope to become.” 

“At least I’m still adorable.” Higgs quipped. 

“Not for long,” David cocked his weapon and pointed it straight at Higgs and began walking closer towards him. “Shoulda done this to you a long time ago.”

“Well, I’m open for business.” Higgs said so quietly that Gene could barely hear him as his arms spread out, seemingly accepting his fate. Right before David pulled the trigger, Gene found herself instinctively leaping from the ladder, falling down towards Higgs and David. She could feel the air pulling back at her skin painfully before David looked up at the last second, only to meet Gene’s right foot kicking him at the side of the head. Both he and her went tumbling as Higgs took the opportunity to teleport around, knocking out the MULE’s and dismantling their weapons. 

Gene struggled to get up, the stunt she pulled to save Higgs having knocked the wind out of her, but she had no time to waste as David quickly got up with his gun at the ready and strode over towards her. He attempted to give Gene a return kick, only to get blocked by one of her cargo holders she pulled out at the last second. Still on the ground, Gene took advantage of where she was at and grabbed a hold of David’s legs, shoving him down so he was at her level. Both of them began to wrestle each other for the gun. 

Gene took several punches to the face, but managed to equally return the favor. Adrenaline kept her from stalling for too long as she eventually managed to get on top of him, pinning his body with her legs as her thumbs jabbed at his eyes, trying to dig them out. David screamed as he uncontrollably faltered around, squirming like a fish out of water while trying to shove Gene off of him. As soon as he gripped her shoulders and attempted to fling her off, Gene moved her hands and went for his throat, squeezing as hard as she could while lifting David’s head and bashing it into the nearest sharp rock nearby. Over and over she went, yelling all the while like an animal until her clothes were battered in warm blood and David’s head was a pulp of red, oozing fluids and flesh. He was still alive, but barely able to respond, right eye dangling out from the socket as Gene fell over and crawled onto her feet. She limped over to the gun and grabbed it and aimed right at the temple of David’s head as he tried to look up at her, feeling the end of barrel staring him down. 

Gene was enraged and had been in similar situations before, but she couldn’t bring herself to kill the idiot. There was nothing sporting about killing a guy while he was down, regardless if a terrorist like him wouldn’t extend the same courtesy to her had the roles been switched. Gene had killed before to protect herself on delivery routes, and it wasn’t something she took lightly. There was always a time and place, and instinct told her now was not the time. Running away and getting further back from the danger was always the best option, especially for a porter. 

Gene dismantled the gun, throwing the pieces around and stomping on some of the key components so it couldn’t be pieced together. Her eyes glanced about, the fog was more prominent than before and she couldn’t make heads or tails as to where Higgs and the other MULE’s went off to. A trickle of fear went down her spine as she swallowed, then heard panting coming from behind her. Higgs’s form began to emerge as the hood that covered his face was now down. He too had blood on him, splotches on his cheeks and clothes as he looked winded, like someone had knocked the air out of his stomach. Gene watched as Higgs bent forward, resting his hands on his knees while he took in deep breaths before he looked up and saw David on the ground and the damage he had taken from Gene’s attack.

“Shit, you’re a mean bitch aren’t you?” Higgs said as Gene let out a huffed laugh at the borderline compliment. 

“I can be when the occasion calls for it.” Gene said proudly, her tone strained from the scuffle. She could feel the adrenaline beginning to wean some in her body. “How are you holding up, did you take every one of them down--” 

Excruciating pain throbbed throughout Gene’s entire body as she was stunned into shock from a MULE that happened to have an electro prod on his person. The nerves in Gene’s body fired off a million miles, and she could feel her body contorting while the pulses of electricity ravaged her. It felt like a hundred hornets bit her at once and were not letting up. The pain was unbearable that her brain started to turn itself off to avoid anything further, and she felt her body collapse. The last thing Gene heard was a yell, followed by a crunching noise as she fell against something warm and could smell blood. Her ears rang as she felt her body being adjusted. She looked up towards the foggy sky, seeing Higgs looking down at her and saying something before her world went black. 


	4. Higgs 2.0

**HIGGS 2.0**

After punching the lights out of the MULE who snuck up behind Gene, Higgs held the unconscious gal in his arms. He made an offhand remark about she could take a hit before blacking out entirely. Furrowing his brows, he wasn’t sure what to do now as he looked up seeing the bodies piled around them as the fog drifted away from their location and moved into the valley. Now that no one had to worry about necrosis anymore from a corpse and causing a void out, assholes like MULE’s were fair game as far as Higgs was concerned. Same with David, who was groaning still. 

Higgs gently lied Gene down then went over to his former comrade. He looked at David’s body up and down briefly taking out a small gun he had on his person, aimed right for the middle of the head, and took the shot. There was no sound, only a quick whoosh of air before it was over for David. Higgs had a moment of silence for his former comrade, recalling a brief memory of the two helping each other out with a bomb delivery before he pushed the thought aside. There was no point lingering in the past, especially when it came to Homo Demens. It was kill or be killed now. 

Higgs went back to Gene then bent down to scoop her up in his arms. When he rose, Higgs could feel the toll of using his abilities coming to bite him in the form of spasms in his legs. 

“Damn girl, I swear you’re gonna get me killed.” Higgs said towards the unconscious Gene as he adjusted her, letting Gene’s head sway into his shoulder. Higgs knew he used up too much of his juice on the MULE’s so teleportation was out of the question. With how much stamina the fight took out of him, he knew realistically he couldn’t make the climb with Gene the way she was. Higgs sighed defeated as he shook his head and began a new trek, back around where they had come from but he kept close to where the valley floor met the cliffs. Scaling rocks and climbing wasn’t something he could stomach. 

Occasionally, Higgs would put two fingers to Gene’s neck to check her pulse. It was faint but strong. Not enough for him to worry about. Her breathing appeared to be normal too as far as he was concerned. It was strange, going out on a limb like this to help someone he didn’t know much about. Higgs couldn’t remember the last time he had done this for anyone, save for when he was younger and was an up and coming porter trying to prove himself. Maybe the years of isolation were beginning to rub out the edges, like the waves of the ocean smoothing out rocks over time. Higgs didn’t like becoming sentimental, and he was quick to dismiss the thought. He was doing great on his own, and getting involved with people was nothing but trouble. Today with Gene, that proved his point. 

Higgs was an hour and a half away from his base, having found an easy path to get out of the valley and far enough from the carnage he and Gene left behind. He was growing tired by the minute, and eventually found shelter in the form of a large tree and four giant rocks, one slanted to where it could protect him from the elements. The first thing he did was set Gene down, leaning her against the tree as the sun began to shine through the branches. He figured she needed the sunlight more so than him as he went for the shadows of the rock formation. Higgs collapsed and exhaled a deep breath as he slouched. His body was beginning to betray him again as more convulsions started in his legs and worked their way up. He could imagine it being akin to a tapeworm squirming around in the stomach with how uncomfortable it felt. Part of his DOOM’s withdrawal was that every time he expended the little bit of power he had left from Amelie, his body would freak out. It was unnatural to have such strength, to be able to teleport and at one point in life, control BTs. The human body was never meant for such a thing, and it was only because of Amelie that Higgs didn’t fall apart from it. Now that his connection was severed, he felt the brunt of it all. 

Higgs allowed himself a nap once the convulsions subsided, decreasing his risk of having another DOOMs withdrawal nightmare for the day. It was much needed, not to mention being out in the world, it was peaceful. There was a point where he used to be afraid of the wind, because he’d know that BTs were nearby and he’d start crying from being too close but now the sky was gentle. There was no malice that tainted the moment. He slept peacefully for the first time in a long while. 

Waking up later on, Higgs left Gene behind and took care of his monthly routine of taking supplies from MULE’s to stock up on survival necessities. He had found another gang of them not too far from the valley floor and was quick to not get caught. Higgs was gonna be set for another month and a half and wouldn’t have to go out of his base often save for when he wanted to catch some fresh air. 

Upon returning to where he left Gene, Higgs began to contemplate his options as to what to do with her. The smart thing would be to kill her off and make it look like the MULE’s had done it say if her employer Brisk HARPY ever came looking for her corpse. Old him would have done that long ago with no hesitation. Higgs took into account the stupid stunt she pulled earlier, saving him from being shot by David at point blank by falling from the ladder onto the Homo Demens member and beating the crap out of him despite having a wounded foot. The whole thing was ridiculous, very much so in the grand scheme of things when it came to survival, but Higgs had to admire the guts Gene had to pull something like this off. She had grit, which was why she probably became a porter in the first place as far as Higgs was concerned. 

Higgs was stuck in a conundrum of sorts mentally. A part of him wanted to do things the old fashioned way, while another was yearning for--something. He wasn’t sure what to make of it. He had to admit it was nice talking to her. Having been isolated from the world for three years, Higgs never had much company except on a rare occasion. The fact that Gene reminded him of his younger self didn’t help things on his end. He was drawn to that vitality. He also knew that it was unwise to put that much faith into another person, especially one whom he just met. He was still UCA’s most wanted, and if she put the dots together and figured out he was once upon a time the leader of Homo Demens and tried to end the world, eventually she’d find out and would hand him over to the Inquisitors. 

Stumped, Higgs began to pace around the area. Occasionally rubbing the back of his neck and looking over towards the unconscious Gene. Finally, he made his decision to stick to what he knew best, and to move on. It was better this way, not to form any attachments. It wasn’t like he was the touchy feely type save for when he wanted to intimidate somebody or assert his dominance. 

Higgs bent down towards Gene’s body, taking a canteen from one of his belts, popped the cap open and began to pour some water down her face to wake her up. It didn’t take too long for the woman to stifle, groaning a bit as the cold water cascaded down her chin and neck. Higgs smiled as Gene began to cough a few times and gained consciousness. He stopped pouring the water on her, putting the canteen back on his belt as he smiled at Gene while she opened her eyes.

“Rise and shine sleeping beauty. You’re safe.” He said as she glanced around, seemingly trying to figure out where they ended up almost like a newborn trying to figure out where they were once escaping the womb. 

“Where--how the hell did you get us away?” Gene asked, coughing once more. 

“Now, now, a magician never reveals his secrets. I think you’re old enough to figure as much.” Higgs said as his lips pulled into a small smirk, which seemed to nerve Gene a little as she composed herself and leaned up from the tree. 

“I can’t be _ that  _ much younger than you.” Gene said in a disgruntled fashion. 

Higgs laughed it off. “Given how young you are for a porter, and given the stupid shit you pulled to get that Homo Demens member off my tail, I’d say you sure act like a child.” 

“Is that really the thanks I’m going to get for nearly taking a bullet for you?” 

“You’re forgetting that I carried you not only on my back but also in my arms. Regardless of you coming to the rescue, it was very stupid to not have your guard up. It’s why the MULE shocked you to death in the first place. Not to mention earlier on I checked your pack. You didn’t take anything of value that would have helped in this part of the West. Either you’re really naive or just plain stupid.” Higgs said as a matter of fact, earning a glare from Gene who was beginning to turn red in the face. Higgs even observed her nostrils giving a small, almost unnoticeable flare. It humored him to say the least. 

“Man, you are a fucking prick I never asked for your help  _ you _ came to me, and you looked through my belongings?” Gene asked bitterly. Whatever good vibes she had towards Higgs seemed to go out the window, and he was appeased by that. It would make leaving her behind all the more easy. 

“I sure did. It’s the least you owe me for saving your tail.” Higgs said as he got up, digging through his own pack now as he took out a decent med kit and tossed it towards Gene in a casual fashion. The medium size box made her jump as it thud to the ground, causing Higgs to chuckle at her reaction. 

“I think it’s time we go our separate ways. There’s enough medicine in there to help that foot problem of yours until you make it back to your employer. Keep going West from here, and you’ll make it back in no time chickadee.” 

“Wait,” Gene nearly shouted as Higgs began to walk away from her, swinging his pack behind him. “Are you really just going to leave me out here like this?” 

“Yup!” Higgs said in a chipper voice as he turned around, walking backwards as he gestured to her and then himself. “The dynamic duo is now the dynamic uno. Sides’ I don’t need a porter getting up in my business.”

“You know that’s a really shitty thing to do to someone right?” Gene shouted towards him as Higgs began to put more distance between them. He laughed before replying. 

“I’m fully aware it’s a shitty thing, but it's how I live my life sweetheart.” Higgs never looked back, but he could hear the limping steps of Gene trailing behind him like a stray dog taking comfort in a random stranger for throwing a bone. It had been ten minutes of this nonsense. He stopped and turned around, looking a little irritated now as he sighed. 

“You stalking me now?” Higgs asked as Gene, out of breath and in obvious pain, held up a finger to him to shush up. 

“I wouldn’t give you the satisfaction, but the truth is I owe you for the help. You saved my ass and I gotta give credit where it’s due. I’m not gonna let up until I at least cover my part of the debt or I’m gonna feel guilt tripped for a while.” 

“Nah, the only thing you owe me is turning around and going the other way.” Higgs said as he pointed back to where the tree and rock formation was at, earning an irritated sigh from Gene as she looked at him firmly. 

“Look, I’m a porter and you’re a Lone Dog. There’s gotta be something I can deliver to you that you need.” Gene pleaded. “I met a lot of loners in my time, and I know you guys got your own thing going on with whatever it is that knocks your socks off, but everyone needs help. I bet you get really tired of having to pick off scraps from MULE’s just to make it out here.” 

“You know, you’re one terrible snake oil salesman.” Higgs said with a huff as he shook his head and turned around. “I think we’re done here. You don’t owe me squat.” 

“When was the last time you had a decent meal, or were able to take care of your bristly beard?” Gene asked, obviously trying to find some sort of sweet spot to get him to stop walking away. “You look like a fucking side burned neanderthal I hope you know.” 

“You shouldn’t be biting the hand that fed you just now.” Higgs said coldly as he turned around. He could see Gene’s throat bob as she swallowed and gave a shrug. No doubt nervous and probably feeling as if she might have pushed his buttons too far. 

“I got your attention at the very least, didn’t I?” She said. 

“Point taken.”

Higgs gave a nod, letting out a sigh as he thought her offer over. Besides for the offhand remark about him being compared to a caveman, the food bit did get Higg’s head spinning. He contemplated, rubbing the scruff under his chin in thought before he walked up, approaching Gene and getting somewhat into her personal bubble. She took a step back, earning a smirk from him as he spoke. 

“Maybe there is something you can get for me after all.”

“Name it.” Gene said, a trickle of enthusiasm showing in her hoarse voice. Higgs could tell from that much she really must’ve enjoyed the porter life. He could remember a time where he got excited as to what he would be delivering next. 

“A large pizza and some alcohol sounds great. Could you do that for me?” 

Higgs could see the gears turning in Gene’s head. No doubt she looked taken aback from the request as if it was the strangest thing she ever heard of. 

“Is that it?” Gene asked. 

“Yup. Would there be any trouble doing this under the table, no log books or any bullshit like that?” 

Gene seemed hesitant and Higgs was nearly ready to give up and keep moving until she nodded to him in affirmation. 

“I’m sure I could work out something so that I still get my numbers for Brisk HARPY. There anything particular you want on it?” 

Higgs smiled, feeling the anticipation growing in his stomach at the thought of having one of his favorite meals in three years. His tongue darted out, licking his lips at the thought. He wasn’t trying to be creepy this time around, but it didn’t seem to help as he could tell from Gene’s facial expression that she looked a bit uncomfortable. Since Higgs was already on a roll, he decided to tie it in a knot. 

“Get me whatever you’re into. I’m sure you won’t disappoint me.” He said cooly and raised a finger, giving a playful boop to Gene’s nose and caused her to jump back. She seemed nerved by his interaction and it made Higgs laugh as he began walking back home with his supplies. 

“How will I contact you? What about your location?” Gene hollered, watching as Higgs began to leave once again, leaving her out in the middle of nowhere. 

“You got one of those damn cuff links so don’t worry about it! I’ll let you know when I’m ready to receive! Might want to get moving chickadee, more MULE’s will be swarming this area once they find the bodies.” 

He could hear Gene booking it upon mentioning the previous situation they were under. Higgs felt some relief at that, she’d get out of the way of being endangered and now she would no longer be his problem. He was very much looking forward to the delivery, finding it amusing all the while. The possibilities began to channel through his mind: maybe there was a good reason he bumped into this porter today. He wasn’t one to believe in fate, not ever since he tried enacting the sixth extinction, but ideas began to arise. Gene made a good argument, that loners needed help and that they got tired of living the grind smuggling scraps. Maybe she wasn’t as big of a nuisance after all but would be useful to him in the long term. Having a personal porter and not getting caught by the UCA among other things sounded too tempting to pass off. 


	5. Gene 3.0

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wanted to give the readers some fun facts. Gene's name comes from the word genetics, her middle name Chromos after chromosome and her last name Dawkins was taken from the evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins. I wanted to keep up with the theme of unique character names based on scientists and such especially in regards to Higgs. I also don't really describe what Gene looks like as I want the reader to picture her however they want save for the short hair bit. I like allowing that kind of freedom to readers cause you can think of a character one way, while another person has a different take. It makes it more fun, at least in my opinion. Again, if you made it this far, thank you so much for reading!

**GENE 3.0**

“C’mon Dawkins, keep it up!” Gene heard one of her coworkers shout towards her as she began loading more scraps into the incinerator. Bits of cargo and packages that couldn’t be recycled had a first class ride to hell itself at Brisk HARPY. Gene was sweating like she had been trapped in a sauna for hours, minus feeling refreshed and restored after the fact. She stopped briefly, wiping off the sweat that creased into her brow before shoveling another large pile into the open flames. Gene hated it when she got recycling duty. Sure, she could do the work no problem but that didn’t mean she enjoyed it. Not to mention she was getting fed up with her partner Ned for not picking up the pace and leaving most of his part for Gene to take care of while the bastard was on lunch. Unfortunately for Gene, automation wasn’t accessible for this kind of work at Brisk HARPY. Gene recalled the UCA making up some sort of excuse, couldn’t risk putting expensive equipment out in the West yet due to the high amount of colonies and drifters who could potentially steal it all. That’s why it was important to keep getting more groups to join the cause, so people would have access to technology that was very much limited to the East Coast. 

Gene was beginning to have a groove going on regardless of how much she hated this part of the job. The trap like beat playing above the speakers in the incinerator chambers kept her moving. This genre of music was old, but her ears could stomach it compared to most crud her coworkers insisted on playing. Occasionally she whistled to the song as the lyrics would come soon joined by a small chorus of her coworkers doing the same thing as they piled more heaps of metal into the pits. It wasn’t all that bad when people actually did their job and didn’t throw it onto another. 

“Dawkins!” Gene’s head rose up as she adjusted the straps of her tank top, making sure to keep the protective pads secure so the flames wouldn’t melt her clothes off. She looked up at her boss--Stark, and let out a puff. 

“Yeah? I’m kind of busy here!” She said as a matter of fact before Stark gestured her for her to get a move on and meet with him in person. Gene took off her gloves, tossing them near the locker units for someone else to deal with before letting an older coworker know she wouldn’t be able to finish the job. Usually when Stark showed up, one of two things would happen: he either had a job for you, or he was about to chew your ass out. In Gene’s case, she wouldn’t be surprised if she got both handed to her. 

Brisk HARPY paid good, but management could’ve been better in Gene’s eyes. Sometimes she couldn’t blame Stark for being pissed off most days. The UCA had some unrealistic expectations and deadlines for Brisk HARPY compared to the likes of Bridges and their co-partners Fragile Express. It was enough to turn anyone into an asshole twenty four seven regardless of professionalism. 

“Good news Dawkins, your numbers are looking good.” Stark started off as he lead Gene into his office space, taking a seat and gesturing for her to do the same across from his desk. 

“What’s the bad news then?” Gene asked, bracing herself as Stark raised a brow at her like she was a petulant idiot. 

“Wow, you’re really pessimistic you know that? I don’t always bitch you out.” 

“So I’ve been told many times, and yeah, you kinda do.” Gene said matter of fact. 

“I didn’t call you to rip your asshole a new one. Not this time at least. I got another delivery job for you, its UCA top priority.” Stark said as he began messing around with his cuff link, going through some paperwork before he sent it over to Gene and then gestured for her to check it out. Gene went through the motions, fingers tapping away as she looked over the details. Occasionally, her eyes widened seeing how much red tape was in this delivery. 

“What do you say, you up for it?” Stark asked, snapping Genes attention back to her boss. 

“Yeah, it’s damn good pay. Long trip though. I’m gonna need to pack and need any porters heading back west to restock the safe houses to the best of their ability.”

“You know that’s not always a guarantee, but I’ll put the word out.” Stark said which Gene appreciated. Despite him being a callous jerk most times, he did have his moments where he could be understanding. Stark had been part of the porter industry ever since it first got started. Once upon a time, he was running around much like Gene was, trying to make people’s lives easier delivering goods and getting paid handsomely. The years of endurance could visibly be seen on him along with the hardships he endured. Despite being in his late fifties, he was in good shape save for the many scars and old bullet holes that littered his arms and face that told many stories. He had his share with death on the job lord knows how many times. Lost count, if Gene recalled correctly when Stark was pressed to answer one day by another associate. Stark was under the belief that most porters were getting too ‘cozy’ now in terms of their work, being too trusting of folks after the UCA was fully established along with the chiral network. Gene agreed with him to an extent, but he was older and a bit out with the times. Things were getting better in the world since the BTs left. He seemed stuck in the past. 

“Not for nothing, but do you know what exactly I’m going to be delivering?” Gene asked curiously as Stark grunted, giving a shrug of his shoulders. 

“I have no fucking clue kid,” he said and took out a cigarette, lighting it up with one of his mechanical fingers on his cybernetic right hand, giving a few puffs before continuing. “UCA sends their shit down the grape vine, you poor souls end up with what I got. Make sure you’re well prepped and don’t be getting your foot nearly hacked this time. You saw the paperwork, can’t afford the likes of MULE’s or god knows who to snatch this off of you. It’s literally my ass, whether you make it back alive or not and I’m not in the mood for the UCA to potentially charge me in the courts cause you fucked up.” 

“If you don’t have that much faith in me, then why assign me the job?” Gene asked, her tone somewhat defensive as Stark once again grunted after taking a drag from his cigarette. The bitter smoke flew into Gene’s nostrils as she adjusted in the seat to avoid getting hit with the brunt of the smell.

“Because you’re the only competent porter I can think of at Brisk HARPY. Even though you’re late on delivery more so than most dumbshits here, your records a clean slate. I know you wouldn’t meddle with whatever the hell the UCA needs sent to that particular colony. You’re good at long stretches too. I estimate you being out in the field for three weeks at most unless you bump into trouble. I don’t normally say this, but take your damn time and make sure no one or anything gets near the package.” Stark gestured his cigarette at Gene almost as if it were a stick and he’d hit her upside the head if she said anything otherwise. Gene merely nodded and got up from the seat, ready to go back to the grind at the incinerator chambers. 

“There anything else I need to know, Stark?” She asked. 

“Yeah, on the way to the UCA client you got a couple deliveries. I’ll patch them to you on your cuff link. You should get cleaned up, get some rest and be ready to head out on the double. No lollygagging. Move your ass Dawkins.” 

Gene snorted, letting out a small laugh at Stark’s jerk off streak then left the office. The first matter Gene took care of was getting some grub after working recycling for most of the day. Brisk HARPY was connected to a colony-state via underground networks and such. The facility housed up to two thousand people. A quarter working for Brisk HARPY while the others worked with the UCA or general labor. Gene liked how large the communal cafeteria was. 

There were over four hundred people currently occupying the space. Some enjoying coffee and fruits grown by the nearby city, and others bullshitting about their jobs and family life. Most people came to Brisk HARPY for work, so it was interesting for Gene to see families actually living here. Many were displaced because of the terrorist acts Homo Demens carried out within the last two years. Brisk HARPY’s facility was one of the safest in the Western part of the UCA in terms of keeping terrible folks out. The place was fortified to the point where launching a bomb wouldn’t do shit to the structure or stability of the establishment. It was no wonder families were beginning to seek residence here, but that meant trying to find some way to incorporate them into the culture. Most folks in the Brisk HARPY sector had no family and had no intentions of creating one. Hell, some of her coworkers purposefully chose to work for Brisk HARPY because they wouldn’t have to be in the presence of kids in particular. Gene lost count how many folks called the children around the place crotch goblins among other unique nicknames. She was indifferent to children, not exactly maternal but understood it wasn’t the kids fault they had to live here and so Gene treated them like any normal person unlike some of her own coworkers. 

Gene went through the cafeteria line, settling for some slices of bacon and a huge portion of potatoes. It had been a month since she had either. Slowly as people began to reclaim land and such, growing things like potatoes and having tech to produce genuine bacon was gaining traction. Foods that were thought to be long lost due to the Death Stranding were coming back. 

A couple of the older kids living in the facility came by, high fiving Gene and greeting her as she took her tray over to a small table nearby a screen overhead that went off about the weather and the latest sightings of Homo Demen’s and MULEs. Occasionally, there would be some product placement and commercials from other carriers trying to get Brisk HARPY employees to seek greener pastures, but most folks were in it for the long haul.  _ Good luck trying to get a lot of the geezers to quit. _ Gene thought to herself as she started gorging herself on the mashed potatoes. The aroma made her stomach ache as she consumed the meal. Gene hadn’t eaten in two days, so this was much needed. Sometimes working the incinerator chambers didn’t leave much time to take a break as there was a lot to melt down due to parts not being recyclable. 

As another infomercial about Homo Demens came up, Gene’s mind began to wander while she ate. She thought about Higgs. He hadn’t sent word or anything for over three weeks. She was beginning to think maybe he made up the pizza request just to get her to shut up and take off. It seemed in character enough for him, though like she had told Higgs earlier, Gene was beginning to feel guilty for not returning the favor. He saved her twice. She didn’t like needing to be rescued by anyone, but the few times it happened on the job, she always made sure to pay it forward and then some. Gene felt like she cheated Higgs out of something. 

“Seriously I shouldn’t give two shits.” Gene said to herself as she began scarfing down the bacon on her tray. Her mind drifting further to what happened weeks ago. Gene’s foot was healed, but her upper left eyebrow was still healing from the various punches David had given her. It still stung from time to time if she moved her eyebrows a lot. Gene was worried she had resting bitch face often due to it. 

“How did he know David?” Gene said aloud to herself, recalling the strange interaction Higgs had with the Homo Demens member. Had Higgs been a terrorist before? No, the man was a bit of an ass but Gene didn’t think he had it in him. Higgs seemed to have knowledge of the porter life, so maybe he had done jobs for them. Many porters were well known for dealing under the table, especially if their main employers were not supplying a sufficient income. Some didn’t care who they worked for, so long as they got their money at the end of the day. Gene herself had done similar side gigs when it got difficult to take care of herself, but there were certain lines a porter doesn’t cross. Terrorism being a huge one. 

“Hm?” Gene quirked up, seeing her cuff link was buzzing and she quickly opened up the screen. There was a new message in her inbox. She shifted through most of her junk mail, going to the new email. 

_ Chikadee-- _

_ That foot of yours fell off yet? Time to pay your savior. Coordinates to my terminal are 30-25-351-201. Bring me nothing but the best. Extra cheesy for old time's sake.  _ _ 👍🏻 _

“Speak of the devil,” Gene said as she shook her head, letting out a tired laugh. She wondered how Higgs managed to track her IP on the cuff link. The cuff links could work long distances, but at Brisk HARPY due to MULE’s hacking to track package routes, it was nearly impossible to break the code. Regardless of the uneasiness she felt towards Higgs, a deal was a deal. She was looking forward to getting her debt to him paid off so she could move on. Gene began to input the coordinates, noticing that the way they were encrypted guaranteed that Brisk HARPY couldn’t track it. She furrowed her brows, feeling a slight sting on the cut above her eyebrows. She rubbed it as the healing wound began to itch while trying to make out how far he was. Fortunately enough, Higgs was close enough to her UCA route. Gene could easily make her small deliveries and then pay him a visit before moving on with the top priority package. Piece of cake. Gene felt confident she had this in a bag. Now came the hard part as she shut off her inbox: what in the hell did a guy like Higgs love to drink alcohol wise? Her eyes widened slightly, feeling a bit nervous at this task. He requested alcohol, but never specified the type or brand. Same with the pizza minus the extra cheesy bit he left in the message. Gene searched her memory, recalling he said something along the lines of he would have whatever she was into. She wasn’t sure if it was some sort of power trip thing or if he was legitimately curious as to what she liked. Not to mention ordering pizza through a porter when he could have had something more expensive in exchange for saving her butt caught Gene off guard. Higgs was an odd one.

The days came and went, and Gene got done with her small deliveries save for the UCA package and Higgs’s odd request. The parcels of medicine that needed to be distributed to a nearby settlement was easy enough. Only thing that bugged Gene about that experience was the guy that worked for another small porter company trying to recruit her. The guy was like a pop up add in human form, wouldn’t shut up. 

Gene had to scale a tall mountain pass to get to Higg’s base. She cursed him for it a few times, nearly falling more than she could count. Gene pat herself on the back for bringing extra security for the packages. At this point, if she hadn’t done it, the pizza Higgs wanted would be as good as gone, tumbling down some cliff and into a crevice by now with how much she lost her grip. Upon reaching the summit, Gene found herself having to climb down a ways, getting back to flat earth and about one hundred and twenty yards away, she could see the signature terminal and entry point into a facility up ahead. 

When Gene arrived, she paused to get a good look at the place. It looked abandoned. There were scraps of metal and other mechanical bits scattered around. Some weird looking eyes and scarabs made from various broken parts of machinery decorated the outer part of the building, giving the ruined facility a persona of its own.

“Didn’t take the asshole for being an artist.” Gene said aloud, finding some of the weird sculptures Higgs seemingly made to be cool in their own right. He had a lot of time on his hands given how intricate and detailed some of the pieces were. She even bent down to check out one small sculpture that looked like an ankh. Gene wasn’t familiar with Egyptology, but knew enough to know what it was. She was beginning to wonder if maybe Higgs was a cultist. The few she met seemed to latch onto ancient cultures, Chinese, Egyptian, or what have you and latched onto their beliefs like it was a holy scripture. 

“God I hope he’s not really like that.” Gene muttered under her breath, recalling the last time she made a delivery run for a cultist that it ended poorly. She was given a low score to Brisk HARPY because she didn’t want to hear for three hours why some spaghetti monster was going to descend from the heavens and save everybody. Stark chewed her out for it. Apparently spaghetti monster man, as Gene liked to call him, was a top paying client and he threatened to cut ties with Brisk HARPY and move to Fragile Express. Humans were fruitcakes, the lot of them in Gene’s opinion, but said fruitcakes paid the bills. 

Finally going to the terminal to deliver the goods, Gene was a little perplexed at the machinery. The tech was a little outdated, but once she figured out how to insert her key card into the system, it began to boot up. She put the pizza and the canister carrying the alcohol on a conveyor belt watching as the machinery took it behind the walls of the bunker. Gene waited patiently for Higgs to pop up and say something through the hologram projector. Nothing came of it. She raised a brow, scanning where Higgs should have been up and down. Suddenly a ringing pierced her ears, causing Gene to nearly screech as she covered them and a weird chipper voice began to speak. 

“H-hey this is Peter Englert. Who is this speaking?” 

_ What the actual fuck? _ Gene thought to herself as she put her hands down and looked around. Wondering if this was some kind of joke. 

“You still there?” The nervous light heart voice asked once more. 

“Higgs? It’s me, Gene. Your pizza and the alcohol you wanted is here. Nothing damaged.” 

There was no response. No response for three minutes straight. Gene was beginning to feel odd and slowly began to walk backwards, intending on making a beeline out of the terminal area and back up the mountain and over the pass. She stopped when suddenly the door behind the terminal opened and Higgs stepped out. He was dressed casually, looking like he just stepped out of a shower given how his hair was slicked back and the scruffy beard he once had was trimmed down to almost nothing save for some little bits here and there. 

_ Maybe I was too rough with the neanderthal comments. _ Gene thought then raised a brow as Higgs smiled at her. There was no malice in it, for once. 

“Took a little longer than I expected. Figures with rookies.” Higgs said with a laugh as Gene tried to restrain herself from rushing up and slam dunking his face into the ground for the comment. 

“You have any idea what I had to do to make sure this delivery was off the books?” Gene spat, earning an amused chuckle from Higgs. 

“I’m sure it cost you an arm and a leg maybe even a foot,” he said, tone teetering on the edge of teasing as Gene realized it was an offhand comment about her foot injury from before given the sarcasm that dripped from his tongue. 

“Har, har. Look I gotta run. We’re square now, so will you leave me a review, and pay my employer so I can get this show on the road?” 

“Gee let me think,” Higgs rubbed his chin, looking as if he were trying to solve some great puzzle before his gaze fell back onto Gene, lips curving into a signature smirk. “No.” He said playfully. 

_ This was going to be a hell of a night. _ Gene thought to herself, wondering exactly what Higgs had in store. 

  
  



	6. Higgs 3.0

**HIGGS 3.0**

“I’ll cut to the chase, I want to negotiate an offer with you. It’ll be worth hearing me out.” Higgs said, his voice just as confident as the posture he took on. It took a lot of effort on his part to not come across too domineering. Whenever Higgs wanted something, he took it. There was no need to ask for favors or to be kind about the request. Now wasn’t such a case. The years being isolated, and almost stripped entirely of his powers had put things into perspective. 

Higgs could intimidate, his body memorized all the simple gestures to get the point across he wasn’t to be screwed with, but when it came to actual combat, he was sloppy. Not to mention pretty weak at times if the right kind of fighter read him like a book. Higgs didn’t want Gene to be spooked by him, but neither did he want her to believe for a second she could walk over him. He had to perform a balancing act both mentally and physically, and behind the facade of confidence, he was nervous. 

“I can see your mind is already trying to figure out how to get out of here, but I kindly ask you to give me five minutes tops.” Higgs said as he held up his hand displaying his five fingers for emphasis, tilting his head some as he could feel more water droplets from his shower a half hour ago begin to drip down the strands of his hair. 

“Play your cards right, I might let you have a slice.” He said, leaning down behind the doorway to pick up the pizza box cargo Gene had delivered. He grinned briefly, for a moment forgetting about what he intended on talking about as his stomach and mind became fixated on eating. Higgs had been waiting for this day for a long time, and he needed to sate his hunger. 

“No thanks, it's your delivery.” Gene said, her tone indicating she was trying to figure out what Higgs’s angle was. 

“But it’s your favorite, right? You got me the kind of pizza you would eat. That was my request. I figured you’d want some after carrying it miles and miles out to the middle of nowhere.” Higgs said and shrugged giving a callous laugh.  _ Oh well be a bitch, more for me _ . He thought to himself briefly then stepped out. He walked past Gene and looked outside the shelter that surrounded the terminal and entryway to his humble abode. His eyes glanced around at the sky, as the smell began to hit him. Rain was coming. He had been here for so long he memorized the weather patterns and up in the mountain area it was going to be rough. 

“Was your plan to bait me into talking shop with you the whole time or did you really want pizza?” Gene asked accusingly as Higgs shrugged and gave a chuckle. 

“Maybe. Maybe a little bit of both. You’ll never know.” He turned and winked at her. 

“You were saying something about an offer, Higgs?” Gene asked, sounding irritable and ignoring his tease. Higgs took a step back and then turned towards her, the cargo box holding the pizza close to him. 

“Yeah, why don’t you step into my office.” He said as he walked ahead of Gene, going towards the security door that lead into his dwelling. Higgs stopped when he didn’t pick up on her following behind and turned around. Gene was cautious, yet her gaze seemed to convey the assumption that Higgs was full of shit for thinking she’d blindly go into a strangers domain. He couldn’t blame her. 

“I need to hit the road. If you want to talk business or whatever, we can do it out here.” Gene stood her ground and Higgs had to hand it to her, she was a no bullshit type of person; a trait he admired in the very few. 

“I like your spunk and I honestly don’t want you anywhere near my shit, but I’m afraid I’ll have to insist.” He then pointed up towards the ceiling of the terminal port as Gene stepped out from underneath it and looked at the sky. It was becoming more grey by the minute, and Higgs didn’t need to see it for himself. Her expression conveyed all he needed to know. Gene knew as well as Higgs that the storm coming was going to ravage the route of her trip. She maybe had three hours tops to get down through the mountain pass, but that was if Gene got a running start. Higgs could see she was carrying a large package on her back, and while she wasn’t looking, he shook his head.  _ Good luck with that. _ Higgs thought to himself. Any porter with that kind of luggage, save for the likes of someone like Sam Bridges, would be screwed trying to get through a powerful storm like the one coming. Higgs could already feel the wind began to pick up in power, the whisking sounds conveying it was gaining strength. 

“Can stay out here like a dog in a doghouse for all I care, but I don’t think you should be going out on your lonesome anytime soon chicky.” Higgs, feeling the pain of hunger begin to hit, made his way back inside. At this point he didn’t care if Gene was going to hear him out or not much less if she was going to stick around. He was just happy having one of his favorite meals again. 

“God damn it,” Higgs could hear Gene mutter to herself in a harsh whisper and he smiled upon hearing her footsteps trailing behind.  _ Hook, line and sinker.  _

“Watch your step--” Higgs tried to forewarn before Gene yelped aloud. Her hands clambering at her forehead after knocking herself into the low ceiling. There was a steep drop into Higgs’s domain courtesy of the prepper nutjob that used to live here, and as Higgs turned around to assess the damage Gene took, he couldn’t help but laugh. It was amusing seeing someone else besides him getting canned in the face for a change. 

Gene looked up and glared at Higgs. He was quick to throw his hands up in surrender, along with the cargo box he carried. “My bad. You’re the first company I’ve had in a long time. I haven’t seen such golden comedy in ages.”

“Can you fuck off?” Gene asked, rubbing her forehead as she hissed, rubbing at a healing cut above her eyebrow which Higgs took notice of right away. It was started to bleed, the ceiling having torn off a scab that formed. He wasn’t sure if Gene took notice of the trail of blood making its way down her face.

“I like your offer, but that’s not my kind of thing.” Higgs sat the pizza down, going over to a small cabinet of sorts and began rummaging around some stuff. While Higgs searched around for some medicine for Gene to put on her cut, he glanced occasionally out of the corner of his eye at her, watching Gene’s every move. She appeared observant of his decorum, glancing at a wall with notes and a trove of scrap work he had worked on and off for months. 

“Did you make all the Egyptian stuff outside?” Gene asked as Higgs was taken aback from the question before he found the capsule he had been seeking. He got up and tossed the little pill towards Gene, which she caught fast, having become aware finally that her wound had opened up as she cracked the pill open and began to smear an antibiotic gel over it. 

“I’m amazed you even know what that is.” Higgs said impressed, crossing his arms for a brief moment as he watched Gene apply the last bit of gel to the wound. 

“I may be a porter, but I’m not that dumb.” Gene said in her defense. 

“You could have fooled me. After taking the hit coming into my house I question if your intelligence is a little--” he gestured his hand, rolling it like a wave off sync. “Muddled.” 

“Did you invite me in here just to insult me or are we going to talk about this arrangement of yours? I’m getting tired of the insults. Maybe that’s why no one has sent you a Christmas card. You act like a dick.” 

Higgs’s smile seemed to bloom at how enraged Gene was getting. He was having fun. “I know I’m a dick. I own it. You should own up to your faults too, chickadee. It puts things into perspective. Wouldn’t you agree that having that kind of awareness is worthwhile?” 

Gene shrugged, glaring towards him. “It doesn’t help to have that kind of awareness and not change your shit persona.”

“Touche’.” Higgs said with a laugh. As much as he was enjoying toying around with Gene, he was dying to get his mouth around a slice of pizza. He was speedy opening up the cargo box. The aroma hit his nose and he let out a sigh of relief as if he were breathing for the first time in his life. His cool eyes scanned over the deep dish, looking at the toppings. Higgs’s eyebrow quirked at one topping in particular he wasn’t expecting. He picked up the piece of pineapple, inspecting it like a detective. He could see from the corner of his eye that Gene was watching him with confusion before he huffed, lifting his hand with the pineapple piece at her. 

“That’s adorable.” He said before tossing the fruit into his mouth and chewed slowly. He purposefully left his remark ambiguous so Gene couldn’t tell if he was pleased, or a little disappointed in the choice. Higgs ate all the pineapple pieces off first, avoiding all the meaty bits and peppers before he truly dug in. To say he ravaged a good quarter of the pizza was an understatement, groaning on the occasion in pleasure as the flavors hit his mouth and the sweet spots of his tongue. Higgs was in heaven. So much to the point where he didn’t notice Gene had been standing the entire time observing him awkwardly for nearly two minutes straight. Once he picked up on it, he slurped a long strand of cheese into his mouth and got up.

“Where my manners at?” He said aloud, looking for something to offer Gene to sit upon. Higgs settled for a beanbag chair he confiscated from a MULE’s base ages ago. There were small tears in it, but it would have to make due. Higgs didn’t exactly design his home to cater to anyone but himself. He watched as Gene slowly took a seat, sinking a bit into the material. Higgs couldn’t help but snort at how awkward she looked while he went back to eating. 

“You gonna drink the alcohol I got for you?” Gene asked, gesturing towards the canister cargo near the front of the entrance. Higgs shook his head, swallowing another bite of pizza. 

“Nah, I’m good for now. I plan on saving it for later. Thank you kindly for the pizza. Well worth it, though I’m more of a classic guy myself when it comes to flavors. I like to keep things simple.” That was probably the first time Higgs had been sincere in a long while. He was truly thankful for the delivery, and he tried making an effort in his tone to convey that to Gene as much as he enjoyed picking on the poor gal. 

“No worries,” Gene said and Higgs could have sworn she sounded appeased with him. “Do you want to keep stuffing your face or do you want to talk now?” 

Higgs was surprised Gene didn’t sound as antagonistic just now. Adjusting in the seat after he put the cargo box down with the remaining slices, he let out a deep breath and nodded. 

“Yeah, let’s chit chat. You’re the first porter I’ve encountered in a long time. Hell, this is the first delivery I’ve gotten in three years, though I’m sure given your job position you met many people with that same circumstance.”

Gene nodded as Higgs pressed on. “I’ll admit, you got me good with your little speech before about everyone needing help. Lord knows I too am at fault for needing service. I like keeping to myself cause’ it makes things easier to deal with, but I have good vibes about you. You seem to know when to keep your mouth shut and when to not let your employers know about under the table gigs. My offer is simple: supply me with stuff such as pizza and the occasional basic necessity every month, and I’ll make it worth your while. I got all sorts of neat little goodies from prowling around these parts. Items that could make you filthy rich if you sell to the right colonists outside the UCA. What do you say to that temptation?” 

Higgs watched as the gears in Gene’s head began to turn. She seemed stumped. Higgs assumed she didn’t expect him to sound as eloquent just now, that it had taken her aback. He was quite proud of himself as he allowed his lips to form a smile, head tilting some in thought as he waited for an answer. 

“I barely got away with getting you this delivery. If this is going to be a monthly occurrence, Brisk HARPY’s computer system is going to pick up on it and then we’re both in trouble. You get outed and I may be out of a job.” Gene explained as Higgs sighed sadly, shaking his head. 

“And here I thought you had balls. My mistake.” He said in a taunting tone, throwing up his hands briefly to mock Gene further as she quickly interjected. 

“Look, it’s not that I wouldn’t do it.” Gene started, piquing Higgs’s interest as he leaned forward in his chair and met the porters gaze. “You’ve been a loner for a long time, and I reckon at one point in life you had the same job as me. You couldn’t even begin to understand how much the systems have changed. It’s not as easy keeping stuff off the books. Quality control tally shit up five times over since Homo Demens have caused massive exoduses. There’s too many people in certain communities, and not enough to go around to support everybody. Security is tight.” 

“Understandable, as it should be.” Higgs said sympathetically. “I figured you were smart enough though to bypass some things. You managed to pull it off with this request, did you not?” 

Gene hesitated before nodding, Higgs in turn mimicking her movement before he spoke further. “I’m sure with the right motivation, I can get you to do it again for me. With the things I got, if god forbid, you got your hand caught in the cookie jar by Brisk HARPY, you’d be set credit wise. That’s something I would never lie about.”

“That’s exactly the kind of thing a liar would say.” Gene countered and Higgs laughed so hard he almost felt a muscle in his side spasm. 

“Now, why would I go through the trouble of lying to you? I’ve been blunt if I do say so myself. Look I’m not the type to bend over backwards for just anyone. You’re a special case.” 

Gene raised a brow at him, her gaze weary as Higgs could pick up on it even with the dim lighting in his home. “You sound as if you were someone ‘special’ at one point.” 

“Oh honey,” Higgs chuckled in a low drawl. “You have no idea.” 

Higgs allowed the small talk to die down, allowing Gene some time to digest his offer in full. He went back to eating the rest of the pizza in the meantime while waiting for her to rack out the details in her head. Higgs was unsure if she was going to go for the offer. Hell, he wouldn’t blame her for turning it down. From a porter's perspective, it was risky to a fault. Even after all these years, he could understand the mentality of saving your own ass especially when working for a company. Higgs still hoped in the subconsciousness of his mind however, that she’d say yes. 

Higgs wouldn’t ever be caught with his pants down, but he didn’t just want a little parakeet to come around every so often with goods when he felt like being lazy looking for supplies out in the field. He missed having someone to talk too, even if all he did was insult and backhand. That was something Higg’s cursed Gene for many times since their first encounter. He realized how much he missed interacting with another, despite loving his hermit life he made for himself. Higgs settled for being touch starved for the rest of his life, not really yearning for it because of his daddy’s abuse, but not talking to anyone for the rest of his sorry existence was a scary concept he slowly began to contend with. Even though at one point Higgs considered himself a god, he was only human after all. Higgs made peace with tolerating Gene just to satisfy that primal need. 

“I’ll take the deal, if you can answer a question for me.” Gene finally piped up as Higgs could feel pride burning in his chest. It made him euphoric knowing he was getting what he wanted. For once, he didn’t have to use violence to get it across. Who would have thought simple banter would do wonders? 

“Shoot sweetheart.” Higgs said. 

“How did you know David, the Homo Demens member you killed?” 

Higgs had already rehearsed a similar scenario in his mind in case the plan with Gene had backfired or if she got too prying. He was more than ready to give his white lie. “Once upon a time I was porter, much like you and I did some bad things under the table for money. David was just one of those clients. He paid me a lot, and I kept my mouth shut. Eventually I got along well with the group and did all sorts of smuggling. That’s the gist. I was desperate at the time.” 

“Why did you quit the delivery life?” 

Higgs chuckled and waved a finger at her, like a parent dismissing the remark of their rude child. “That’s a bedtime story for another day I’m afraid. May I ask why you decided to become a UCA boy scout?” He asked, mocking the fact she was a porter. Nonetheless despite Gene looking less than amused at his tone, she answered truthfully. 

“It was the only thing I was good at. I never really amounted to anything.”

“Can’t be true,” Higgs interrupted. “At least from where I’m standing.” 

He could have sworn Gene was blushing from his compliment, but given the lighting in the facility, he wasn’t sure. Nor did he want to linger on that thought. 

“My parents were both scientists, botanists. They had a kid who could never compare intelligence wise so I did the next best thing. I’m good with my hands and my body. Being a porter was a calling. It seemed like a no brainer.” 

“Your mama and daddy still around?” 

“They died, a long time ago.”

“My condolences.” Higgs could feel some sort of tension in the room and glanced to the side, deciding to concentrate on the package Gene had been carrying on her back now lying towards the back wall of the small living space. It didn’t take Gene long to take notice, which Higgs intended. 

“So uh, what kind of delivery are you making with that thing?” Higgs asked curiously as Gene herself turned and looked at the cargo container. 

“I actually have no clue. It’s UCA top priority though.”

“I take it you’re a good little boy scout and won’t dare to open it?” Higgs challenged mockingly as Gene cast a firm glare upon him. Her gaze was territorial to say the least. 

“Not on your life.” 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, no need to let the bad bitch out of the box. I’m just playin’ you.” Higgs said, waving his hands playfully.  _ As if she could really hurt me. _ He thought to himself and shook his head. He was growing tired by the minute.

Prior to Gene making the delivery, Higgs had gotten back from a six hour trip trying to find some power cells to keep his humble abode afloat. It wasn’t easy, living in an old preppers bunker lodge. Even when he was living with his daddy long ago as a child, Higgs could recall how difficult it was to keep the electricity running. His daddy having to leave for days at a time to get enough resources to keep the home going, despite telling Higgs up and down that the outside world was no place to go. Thinking of the hypocrisy made Higgs glare, and he unintentionally was doing so towards Gene. 

“Did I do something?” Gene asked defensively before Higgs grunted and shook his head. 

“No, was’ just thinking about something. That’s all.” 

“Oh.” 

An awkward silence filled the room, cutting the atmosphere in half. Higgs wasn’t feeling too comfortable being around Gene’s presence. He cleared his throat, giving a yawn as he stretched his arms and got up walking towards a corridor that lead to his room. He pressed his ear to the wall, listening for the storm coming in. Gene could faintly hear the howls too as Higgs observed her head trying to follow where the sound was coming from. He took his head off the wall and gestured. 

“There’s a hammock you can set up here in the back corner. Bathroom is down across my room. If you’re brave enough to take a shower, I gotta warn you the water is colder than the fingertips of death.”

“That coming from personal experience?” Gene asked, legitimately curious but also joking. Higgs saw her attempts to diffuse whatever tension there was in the living space and laughed. His demeanor changed with a flip of a switch as he furrowed his brows into a glare, gesturing at the back end of his living space where some of his Egyptian sculptures lay by the entrance. 

“You can see yourself out in the morning. Don’t hit your head on the way out.” 

Higgs made his way to the room so quickly that he had no time to see that Gene was confused by his statement. Like he pulled the welcome carpet from out underneath her feet with how he sounded towards the tail end of his sentence. 

The automatic door closed behind Higgs as he collapsed into bed, pulling off his boots lazily along with his shirt leaving himself in his pants as he lay flat on his back and looked at the ceiling. He took in deep shallow breaths, his body beginning the convulsions. Another DOOM’s withdrawal was knocking at his door. Much like what was happening outside, it was the calm before the storm. Higgs swallowed, feeling the pain slowly rise up into his chest. Tears spilled down his eyes as he shut them, trying to force his mind to sleep through it all. 


	7. Gene 4.0

**GENE 4.0**

After making their pact, Gene and Higgs had set up a routine. Every month around the 20th through the 25th she would come his way to deliver whatever it was he desired at the time. Higgs in turn kept his promises. The items and discarded tech Higgs found on his supply runs made Gene a considerable amount of money on the side when she had the chance to talk to those outside the UCA territories. Gene made sure to calculate when certain items Higgs wanted were going to be tallied back at Brisk HARPY, so that the people running the system wouldn’t catch onto the stolen merch. Higgs hacked when possible to change data entry once Gene gave him info into Brisk HARPY’s security system. They had a great thing going. There was a time Stark began to get suspicious of why Gene was taking so many deliveries to the area, but she nipped his thoughts in a bud especially when the UCA kept having her send top priority packages to the border of the UCA, where the West met the East. 

Gene was still unsure what she had been shipping out. There were a few times she tried seeing if she could hack the system much like Higgs did on her cuff link before, but no luck came of it. The shipments were coming in more often and Gene resolved herself to taking the route that cut through Higgs’s turf. It was easy to kill two birds with one stone, she avoided the MULE’s in the area, and Stark didn’t think nothing of it after. 

Almost a year into this symbiotic relationship of theirs, and Gene was beginning to warm up to the loner. His tendency to be a dick was a mood kill, but she was growing to deal with it. Her comebacks to his attitude had become more precise, but Gene knew at the end of the day Higgs was just messing around at her expense. There were still those moments however where he’d cross a line, and Gene would swear up and down to never help him again. She purposefully took a month off their rendezvous to get her point across when Higgs brought up her parents in an argument over something stupid and used them in context to hurt her. He hadn’t had the balls to say such a thing since then. When Higgs had his good days, Gene enjoyed meeting up with him. He was interesting to talk to, he knew a lot about the world and seemed wiser than his years. The bad days Gene tried to let bygones be bygones as much as she could hold a grudge.

There was still a lot the two didn’t know about each other. Other than his love for pizza and his passionate charisma towards ancient Egyptian work, Gene didn’t really understand Higgs as a person. She still had no clue what even the equation tattoo on his forehead meant. Gene wouldn’t say they were exactly friends at this point, but she did look forward to seeing him on her delivery runs. Higgs was hard to read, but Gene had the feeling he felt the same way. Being a loner and not part of a community at all, UCA or otherwise, Gene could only imagine what it was like not being able to interact often as much as he clung onto the notion that talking to people just got one into trouble. 

As Gene trekked over the mountain pass to once more meet up with Higgs at the bunker, she recalled last months meeting. Higgs had been sick and refused to come out of hiding to meet her, insisting that she leave the goods with the terminal and get going. Gene kept track of every time he had some excuse to not see her. Be it he needed to rest, or point blank ‘couldn’t stand her’ for the day; something was off. If there was anything she wanted to know just for curiosity's sake, it would be why Higgs flaked out not once but many times due to being under the weather. 

“Higgs?” Gene hollered when she got to the terminal, glancing about as she placed her key card into the computer slot and once more put the goods on the conveyor belt. This time around Higgs wanted new clothes, saying the old stuff he smuggled from the MULE’s lately had been too tacky for his taste. It was enough to make Gene roll her eyes, then again she shouldn’t have been surprised. Since she caught onto the fact he’d wear dark eyeliner akin to the pharaoh’s sarcophagus masks, Higgs gave the impression he loved pampering himself when the occasion called for it. Unlike most Lone Dogs Gene delivered to, Higgs took good care of himself appearance wise. Maybe not so much when they first met, but he had obvious standards for himself. 

“Higgy Stardust?” Gene hollered, knowing somewhere he’d hear it. Ever since Gene witnessed Higgs had a collection of David Bowie albums from lord knows how many decades, it had been her go to taunt. Gene noticed Higgs loved to dish out to people, but when it came to getting his turn in the hot seat he wasn’t as sporting.

“If you call me that bullshit nickname one more goddamn time!” Higgs shouted as he came bounding around the corner outside of the terminal, Gene smiled at him mischievously and gave a little wave. Higgs glared. 

“Good to see you too. The clothes are already in the bunker.”

“Oh, good to know. Your shit is ready too, it's by the door.” Higgs said, his tone unimpressed. 

“If you’re really that bothered by the nickname, I can stop.” Gene said in all honesty as Higgs scoffed at her. Gene was willing to bet money that some part of him liked it. She adjusted the straps of her backpack, looking down to his hands. He was carrying some sort of weapon, and after staring for a good amount of time, Higgs noticed and went on to explain himself. 

“Old school weapon from days past. Bow and arrow. I built it this month. The aim isn’t the best, but I’m getting the hang of the tension. It’s brilliant for when you don’t want to get up close and personal with an enemy. Making the arrows is a bitch though I’ll say.” 

“What do you do with it?” Gene asked as Higgs snorted with laughter and held up one of the handmade arrows. She felt embarrassed not knowing what the damn thing was, having only grown up around guns and other heavy weaponry in their world. 

“Stick things you don’t like with the pointy end.” Higgs said before taking the blunt end of the arrow and booping Gene’s right shoulder. She jumped a little from the contact upon being pushed as she gave a small laugh. Gene watched as Higgs glanced from the weapon to her and back a few times before he gestured with his head. 

“You want to try it out?” Higgs offered. 

“Holy shit,” Gene said in shock. “You’re actually gonna let me touch one of your things?” 

“Just this once honey. Don’t go around telling the whole town about it.” Higgs smiled as Gene followed behind him. It had been sort of an unspoken rule that Gene keep away from his belongings, though there was a month shortly after she spent the night during the massive storm when they made their pact did her gear bump into some tools he had been working on. Needless to say everything broke. There was a bunch of screaming and yelling on both ends, and Gene left after Higgs shoved her out as if she were the boogeyman coming to claim him. 

Higgs lead Gene to a clearing where there were automated target droids nearby. Gene knew for a fact just one of those was worth a fortune to the common joe in the colonies, not to mention the UCA. Only the defense team and Inquisitors had them. 

“I don’t remember delivering those to you. You talking to another porter behind my back?” Gene teased with a chuckle as Higgs smirked towards her. 

“I didn’t take you for the jealous type. I’ll have to remember that.” 

“Why is that?”

“So I can use it against you, what else?” 

“That’s fair, but seriously how did you score target drones?” 

“Trust me, you don’t want to know.” 

Gene decided to leave it at that, recalling the last time her and Higgs had a similar conversation that she truly ended up regretting pushing the matter further on, he giving intimate details of said situation in particular. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up just thinking about it. She was quick to act casual, not wanting Higgs to catch wind she might have been lurking on that little banter ages ago. 

“I can give you a quick demo. It’s easy peasy.” Higgs said as Gene watched him take position. She carefully observed how his stance and posture were, how he held the bow and pulled the arrow back. The muscles in his arms under his shirt rippled some, trying to make sure the tension was just right before he took aim and released. Gene’s eyes could barely keep up as the arrow shot through the air like a speeding bird getting ready to dive bomb its next meal. The arrow ripped through the droid, not exactly hitting the red light which indicated the target point, but it was enough to get the zoomy little thing to fall out of the sky and crash down. Higgs looked proud of himself as Gene was unsure of giving this a try now.

Higgs wasn’t giving her much choice however as he quickly tossed the bow to Gene, which she caught before it hit the grass and rock below her feet. He came over to her side, giving a few pats to her left shoulder after Gene sat down her pack then took a few sly steps back from her, proud of himself. 

“Now I’m not expecting perfection. If you screw up, don’t worry, it’ll be between us girls.” Higgs joked as Gene shook her head, trying to roll off his prideful remark as she grabbed an arrow after Higgs offered one.

To say she struggled was an understatement. Higgs merely watched with utter amusement as Gene failed time and time again even to get the arrow situated to the bow so she could fire it. They could have been there all day at the rate she failed.

Gene was surprised when Higgs irritably sighed, and then approached her. He welcomed himself into Gene’s personal bubble without asking, his cheek almost touching her own as he used one of his legs to help spread Gene’s feet apart while his hands guided her arms to where she should be posture wise. When she was in the right spot, Gene felt Higgs line his hands and body up with her own, taking on the same stance as his hand covered the bow along with the hand she used to grip the arrow to it. 

“Shh.” Higgs said in a drawl whisper. Gene grew nervous. It was knacking trying something new like this for the first time, but having Higgs so close was a whole other ball game. Gene didn’t like it on account he’d see every flaw of hers. Hell he corrected a bunch of her mistakes already. She felt childish. 

“Your pulse in your neck is going a million miles an hour, you’d give a rabbit a stroke.” He teased as Gene let out a laugh at the jab. Higgs smiled at the reaction, but kept his eyes forward and onto the droids buzzing about, save for the humanoid looking one that walked at a snail's pace. 

“Slow your breathing down, relax. It’s just like swimming for the first time. Steady.” 

Gene exhaled a few deep breaths, not realizing she had been carrying so much weight inside just as much as she was on the outside. The free hand Higgs had rubbed small circles into her shoulder the more Gene allowed her body to loosen up as if subconsciously rewarding her for listening to his instruction. Gene got ready to draw and release. Higgs turned his face to the side just enough to where he could look at her, watch where her eyes were moving. 

“Steady.” He said before looking ahead and Gene took the shot. The arrow came to life gliding through the air and directly hit the red light target of one of the droids. Gene was left wide eyed and shocked while Higgs too blinked a few times before he laughed, giving a proud pat to Gene’s back as she smiled big at her accomplishment. It was exhilarating to Gene having that much power leave her and pack a punch into something. 

“I’ll be damned sweetheart, you’re a natural at aiming.” Higgs said giving a few claps in an excited tone though his voice was steady and gentle like it had been when he gave Gene directions. It was something Gene caught onto, how soothing he sounded. She hadn’t noticed how his voice did that before, used to hearing him being sly or serious. Gene turned her head to face Higgs, he still looking ahead and assessing the damage Gene’s direct hit had done to the droid before he caught her staring at him from the corner of his eye. 

They both lingered at one another. Gene could see Higgs light blue eyes move, looking down towards her mouth then back up to her gaze a few times. Gene could see for a brief moment some sort of vulnerability in his eyes that he quickly locked down from her presence. The tip of his tongue poked through slightly as he licked his bottom lip before it turned into a smirk. 

“See something you like?” He joked as Gene blinked, shaking her head as she groaned all the while rolling her eyes at the flirtation. 

“In your dreams cowboy.” She said sarcastically as Higgs chuckled. He stepped back from her, letting up and giving Gene much needed space. Gene, feeling confident, grabbed another arrow that Higgs had lied down on the ground and decided to give it another go. He crossed his arms, watching curiously to see how she’d handle it. Again, Gene struggled but she was more ready to correct her posture and the tension in the bow. She fired once more, the arrow spinning into oblivion before it hit the humanoid droid. 

Gene’s eyes widened as did Higgs’s. However he made a fist with his right hand and brought it to his mouth, almost as if to stifle a laugh as they both stared at where the arrow landed. Dead set on where the humanoid droids crotch would be. Higgs shook his head, grabbing the bow as Gene, still perplexed looked at him, her expression conveying ‘what the fuck?’ down to a T as to why he performed this action. 

“That’s it. We’re done. I don’t want you shooting arrows ever in my presence.” Higgs said it with so much conviction that Gene couldn’t tell if he was joking per usual or being serious. Either way, she was starting to laugh it off when she stepped back to assess the situation. 

“Keep on paying me for the deliveries and you won’t have nothing to worry about.” Gene teased, giving a smug look as Higgs rolled his eyes. 

“You know you’re not funny, right?” Higgs asked as a matter of fact. 

“Yeah, you tell me that all the time when we meet up.” Gene said.

“Anyhow,” A mutual silence went between them as they both looked outward and past the droids, looking at the landscape and admiring the kind of world they lived in. There was a time when looking at something like a mountain or field made Gene feel nothing but dread, worried about BTs and encountering them. Worried about dying in one of the most suffering of ways by their hands. It was jarring to see how much has changed in three years when it came to the earth healing from the Death Stranding. 

Gene’s cuff link went off and she turned her attention towards it, Higgs’s head darted towards the machine as well. Despite hacking the device, Gene knew he was probably paranoid Brisk HARPY would somehow track the location. Gene remembered Higgs made it very clear he didn’t want anyone knowing where he was. He still never gave a clear answer as to why, but given how bizarre he could be as a person, it wasn’t all too shocking. Higgs was an oddity and unfortunately she knew that wouldn’t set well with some folks in the colonies. There was a sense of unity through conformity, sad enough as it was. 

“I gotta head out. The top priority package is wanted on the double. I already lost two hours of travel time.” Gene explained to Higgs as he nodded, though she could have sworn for a moment he looked disappointed before he went neutral per usual when it came to this point of their monthly meetings. 

“Right.” Higgs said lowly and continued. “The border area you’re going to, be careful. I eavesdropped and heard from stray pack MULE’s that Homo Demens might be lurking about.”

Gene nodded, thankful for the information. “I’ll be fine. I’ve done this many times now. Ever since I’ve started packing more useful things, and even overstocking I haven’t bumped into too much trouble.” 

Higgs looked like he was about to say a smart ass remark, but refrained. Instead Gene was mildly surprised when he smiled at her and gave a simple nod. 

“See you next month?” Gene asked as Higgs gave another nod.

“Course’. I ain’t going nowhere.” 

Gene double checked her belongings, gear and the priority cargo package and hit the road. She was unaware Higgs watched her leave before turning to go get the arrows from the target droids. She was also unfortunately unaware that they were being watched the entire time, and that Higgs was in for one hell of a wake up call. 


	8. Higgs 4.0

**HIGGS 4.0**

Higgs scarfed down the last of canned deer meat, the bent spoon he used scraping against the interior of the can, making a scratching noise. Occasionally he coughed from time to time due to eating it rather quick. Ever since he came across information on how to build a bow, he had been hunting due to the animals coming into the area. It was a win win situation. He got more food than he bargained for, and his personal porter, Gene, didn’t have to go the extra mile with food requests save for when his pizza cravings got the best of him. 

Speaking of which, Higgs got up and tossed the can into a garbage compartment then went over to his hoard of pizza boxes. He had gotten so many from Gene over the year that he built a fort in the living room of the bunker. It was childish, but he was proud of his work. It wasn’t like he could do much with the boxes besides trek to an incinerator plant and sneak the garbage in with the UCA’s. 

“You really built a pizza box fort?” Higgs recalled Gene saying to him a month ago as Higgs popped his head out from the top of the structure and looked at her with a serious expression. 

“Yeah, and no girls allowed.” Higgs said with a laugh before Gene rolled her eyes, wanting to deliver Higgs requests and get back on the road. He knew very well she was on a time constraint this time around and savored pushing the boundaries of how long he could keep her around. 

“Higgs, get out of the fucking fort so we can make the transaction.”

“You’re not my daddy.” He said bluntly, his head disappearing into the wave of boxes. He could only imagine he looked as idiotic as a gopher teasing a hunting dog. 

“Higgs, get out of the damn fort.” Gene demanded. Whatever playful demeanor she had flew out the window as her tone grew aggressive.

“No.” Higgs said once more bluntly as his head popped up, shaking before he retreated into the dark fortress of pizza boxes. 

“I don’t have time for games man, I have a set delivery time and you’re gonna fuck this up and Brisk HARPY is gonna know something is wrong when I’m four hours late.” 

“I’m in a fort and you’re not. Can’t nobody tell me what to do.” Higgs said as a matter of fact, his voice muffled by the pizza boxes that shielded him like a cocoon. 

Gene needless to say did the practical thing and kicked the wall of boxes, her foot sticking through the barrier between her and Higgs, almost canning him in the face as the boxes tumbled and fell. Higgs lay there for a moment, taking in a deep breath. Even he could admit maybe he pushed her buttons too far and settled for getting up, feigning innocence over the whole thing to get Gene to lighten up. 

Higgs pushed the memory back into his mind as he scoffed, shaking his head and adding another pizza box to the growing collection. He knew he couldn’t keep this up. At one point or another, he was gonna have to journey to an incinerator to get rid of the evidence of his rekindled addiction. He made a mental note to himself to request Gene to pick up porter gear so that he would have an easier time getting all the boxes in one go versus multiple trips. The closest one was two days out from where he lived, three if the weather wouldn’t allow further traveling. 

Sighing and rubbing his eyes, Higgs ventured over to the corner of the bunker’s living room. He lazily flopped into the hammock he set up and swung there, cradling his body while his right hand rested over his chest, the left dangling from the side and swaying on the occasion with the movement of the hammock itself. Higgs’s thoughts drifted around. There really wasn’t anything that popped out to him other than reminders of supplies he had left. That list was dwindling by the month thanks to Gene and he found himself not worrying as much about the basics. 

It was only natural for his mind to wander off, thinking about Gene. Higgs didn’t like to believe he was growing soft, but the interactions had been smoothing out his rough edges. Hell, he still couldn’t believe how playful he was last month with her during the pizza fort scenario. He couldn’t recall the last time he did anything like that for the sake of playing with someone else; realistically not since he was a child and those experiences were not a dime a dozen. He’d never admit it to her, but Higgs was starting to like Gene. The company, albeit most times were short, meant a lot to him. As much as he joked about Gene being stupid especially at her expense, Higgs found overtime how resourceful she could be. He admired that about her. She seemed to have a good head on her shoulders. Her banter at the very least with him was improving, and deep down he got giddy thinking about it. It was nice having someone that could keep up with his charade. 

“Wonder how she’d feel knowing she’s helping out an ex terrorist.” Higgs said aloud with a laugh, rolling his eyes as he shook his head in defeat. Eventually they were going to have to cross that bridge. It was only a matter of time given how open he was becoming with her. Granted, Higgs still kept a lot of secrets to himself. He mentioned his daddy in passing but refused to talk about the childhood abuse. He still hadn’t shared with Gene why he quit being a porter too. There was a lot to comb through when it came to knowing Higgs, and he admitted to himself he was complicated. Probably more so than the average joe. 

That didn’t seem to stop Gene from prying info out of Higgs. She knew a lot about Egyptian myths once she pressed the right buttons and got Higgs to rant. 

Higgs turned his body in the hammock, lowering a hand to the floor as he picked up a book titled The Eye of Horus: Afterlife Myths of the Egyptians and began flipping through the contents. Gene had personally went out of her way to get this for him two months ago. Higgs had yet to read it and figured now was as good of a time as any. He could probably write a book on this stuff with all the knowledge he acquired, but was curious to know if there was something he had overlooked. He recalled during one deep conversation with Gene how Egyptian beliefs in afterlife inspired him to go on living when he was an older teen once he ran off to a colony after killing his daddy. He left the killing part out, still not ready to deal with the baggage that came with it. Gene didn’t seem to have anything set belief wise, neither did he for Higgs knew the truth thanks to Amelie and knew at the end of the day, none of it really mattered. Higgs was still impressed nonetheless when Gene looked at the Death Stranding from a scientific approach in terms of evolution, and how it was almost identical to what Higgs clung onto when he was working with the Extinction Entity herself. 

“Everything has cycles,” Gene said as she explained further. “This wasn’t the first Stranding nor will it be the last. I look at life, death, all of the things in between as a system of checks and balances. If there’s too much of something, nature or whatever you call it balances things out. I think humanity grown too fast compared to our predecessors of the earth, so it was only natural for a Death Stranding to happen so early on during our evolutionary development as a species. We brought this upon ourselves due to our need as a species to keep pushing the envelope. It became too much for the world, so it had to cut the weeds down to allow new roots to take form. We’re just the unlucky bitches that picked to be born during these times. It’s not the world's fault the cycle had to move on.” 

Higgs smirked at her, shaking his head.  _ If only you knew the real truth. _ He thought to himself as Gene caught onto him. 

“You think I’m stupid, right?” Gene asked to which Higgs shook his head. 

“No. No I think you got it down better than most of the idiots left on this planet. Y’can’t begin to imagine how refreshing that is to hear.” Higgs said softly. 

“I don’t see how considering its what most people believe in anyways given the theory of Extinction Entities has been scientifically proven.” Gene said, adjusting in the bean bag chair. Seemingly growing used to the worn out thing as Higgs smile grew. 

“It’s refreshing because it’s you telling me that.” He simply said, and they enjoyed mutual silence while Gene got time to take a quick nap before getting back to her delivery route. 

In the present, Higgs only read a paragraph or two of the book before he rest the book against his chest and closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath as he felt an ache pull inside his chest and stomach. It wasn’t the DOOMs withdrawals. Higgs missed the hell out of her. 

“You stupid bastard.” Higgs muttered to himself coming to the realization of his feelings before he was taken out of the moment. He could hear a faint clicking sound coming from behind the entryway into his bunker, and then an explosion radiated throughout the entire structure. The door blew off, and Higgs, having been around explosives for a number of years not to mention weapons of mass destruction, was quick to roll out of the hammock and bound for behind the fridge. It wasn’t the best line of defense, but given the circumstances, better than nothing. 

Higgs kept his breathing slow and steady, despite his heart beating like a freight train. He needed to get to his room to get a weapon and he had to be quick. Higgs counted to three then made a run for it, a cloud of debris traveling into his mouth and nose. Before he made it to the doorway, he was hit with a metal rod from the front. The last thing he saw before temporarily blacking out was a hand, grabbing him by the collar and dragging him back into the living room and outside the bunker. 

Higgs was only out cold for a short time as he felt something cold splash his face, water mixed with grime tainted his taste buds as the liquid made its way into his mouth. Coming back to consciousness, he coughed as his vision ever blurry tried to make out who the intruders were. Once the gold and black uniforms came into view, Higgs was both in awe and shock before he smiled at his old comrades. 

“Hey boys,” He coughed yet again, trying to get onto his feet before being forcibly pushed back onto his knees into the ground. He could feel the tiny rocks beginning to dig into his pants as he fell forward and continued to cough. “Long time no see.” Higgs finished with a mocking tone as the leader stepped forward. 

Deeter Baltimore, the new face of Homo Demens stepped forward carrying himself like he was a righteous god. He slowly bent down, getting on Higgs’s level as he took off a red mask, similar in structure to the golden one Higgs once worn but had black tears purposefully textured underneath the eyes. Deeter was a pale man, but his masculine features held a dominance in them that even made Higgs nervous. There was a cold callous glaze in Deeter’s eyes, and Higgs in turn reacted with the same intensity. Deeter was of course once upon a time, nothing but Higgs’s little patsy in the group. Deeter could have been the leader of Homo Demens had Higgs not received his grand vision for the world from Amelie and to cure the groups DOOM’s once and for all. Higgs had answers to questions whilst Deeter had brute strength. That was the only appealing thing about him back then, and by god how the tables turned. 

“Higgs, the years have been kind to you since the BTs left.” Deeter said, sounding as if he was catching up with an old friend and not an enemy. 

Higgs shrugged. “Probably because I had to take care of myself, no thanks to the lot of ya.” 

Deeter chuckled darkly, his deep voice permeating the air as he took in a deep breath. “As stubborn as ever. We found out it was you who killed David. Pity, I always thought you favored the little brat.”

“You know me. If you get in my way, there’s a good chance you’re gonna get deep sixed.” Higgs said confidently as Deeter let out a laugh, gesturing at the two Homo Demens members that were standing at either side of Higgs to let up and give some space. Higgs himself was surprised by that. Deeter was never one to show patience, let alone mercy. That was one of the reasons why Higgs kept him in the terrorist group despite the consistency to brutalize. 

“What do you want from me?” Higgs asked, his tone low as he glared up at the new leader of Homo Demens. 

“That porter that was here earlier, where is she going?” 

It took Higgs a lot of inner control to not show concern at how Gene was brought up. He played it cool, shrugging in a nonchalant fashion. 

“To the border. Where the West meets the East. She’s delivering a UCA top priority.” 

“I was beginning to think it would be difficult prying that out of you, but here you are spewing off like a pet parrot.”

“The gal is just a porter I have an arrangement with. Nothing more.” Higgs said standing his ground as Deeter’s thin lips curved into a mischievous smile. 

“You could have fooled me with the sweet little archery lessons you were giving her. And here I thought little Higgy was growing a heart, or maybe you finally found a good fuck buddy. That’s the deal right? She gives you goods in exchange for you getting certain needs met?” 

Higgs smirked, giving a firm shake with his head. “You seem awfully curious about my sex life Deeter. There something you want to tell the class?” He gestured with his head at the other Homo Demens members. Roughly there were thirteen from what Higgs could tell from the corner of his eyes when he had tilted his head. He knew he was screwed, but wasn’t going to give the satisfaction of giving them cowardice. He was once the particle of god, the bringer of the sixth extinction, and they knew better than to try and knock him down the totem pole pride wise. 

“So, the little porter gal means nothing to you? You wouldn’t even care if we manhandled the goods? ” Deeter asked firmly, cutting to the chase as Higgs shook his head and laughed. 

“You take me for a soft man. Remember what I did to Fragile? I’m just using the porter girl to get what I need to survive. Do whatever you want to her, there’s more than enough porters to go around the world and back. I can find another one. I gotta say you blowing up my place and dragging me out here in the damn cold has me awfully curious as to what you need from a simple thing like her.” 

Deeter smirked, amused at Higgs’s reply. “You’re in luck I feel like sharing, because I’m also going to give you a most precious opportunity.” 

“And what’s that?” Higgs asked, his tone suspicious as Deeter rose up to his feet and gestured with his arms outstretched almost as if to summon BTs that were no longer there. 

“To rejoin Homo Demens, to reclaim some form of status. Maybe even fulfill that dream of yours to bring about the sixth extinction minus using the BTs. The simple little sweet thing of a porter is the key to that. She’s shuffling something to the UCA that’s so under lock and key that you and the boys here are fourteen out of thirty people in the whole wide world that know about it.”

Deeter then grabbed Higgs by the arm and hoisted him up in a rough manner, swinging an arm around his shoulder as he muttered for Higgs to walk with him while they talked business. He didn’t have much choice in the matter, Higgs as the two Homo Demens members that had been at his side were closely following to make sure he didn’t try anything. 

“All you gotta do Higgy, is lead me to her. With how long I know you’ve had this little arrangement, surely you know what routes she takes. You lead us to the porter, we nip little chicky in a bud, take the cargo, and you’re back where you belong. We can forgive the whole thing when it comes to David. He had always been a piss baby compared to the likes of us. Oh,” Deeter stopped and gave Higgs a friendly pat on the shoulder. “No offense to blowing up your little residence. We thought you would have been more adequate in terms of being prepared for intrusion.” 

Higgs had been plenty curious before at the amount of packages Gene had shipped to the border, but he had no clue they were this important. He figured it was some scientific equipment, expensive stuff, but he knew Deeter. He never lied when it came to important things. Higgs took the bait, his curiosity wanting to know what his ex colleagues had been up to all these years. 

“What exactly is in those boxes?” Higgs asked. 

Deeter chuckled darkly. “A plague like no other. A virus that will make the UCA crumble to its knees. Our own take on a Death Stranding. What say you, Higgs, are you in or out?” 

Higgs felt torn, but he dare not show it to the likes of someone such as Deeter. He sighed defeated, took in a deep breath and then smirked. 

“When do we start?” 

“Good man.” Deeter said with a smile as he took his arm off Higgs shoulder and forced a gun into his right hand. “It’s good to have you on board again, Higgs. This time, we will get things right.” 


	9. Gene 5.0

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there folks, just a quick little thing: There may be content in this chapter that could be triggering to some folks (and Higgs, well, being...Higgs?). Read with this warning in mind. Other than that, thank you so much to those that have left comments or have been messaging me outside of Ao3! I'm very grateful for the kind words and reviews! :) Have fun reading!

**GENE 5.0**

Gene dropped her equipment nearby the campfire she made. The porter grade backpack and cargo hitting the ground with a large thud causing small dirt debris to catch in the fire and cackle. She sat down in front of the flames, rubbing her hands together then hovering her palms over the dancing reds and oranges, trying to take in as much warmth as it would offer. Gene’s eyes looked ahead. She could see in far distances other camps and wondered what kind of people were out here sharing the same sky. Since the BTs left the world open for humans to travel through without consequence, the almost extinct being known as the traveler came back in droves. People wanted to explore the world and how much it has changed since most folks had been hiding in bunkers and underground facilities. Many were part of a generation who never got to touch a tree or even see an animal unless it was a hologram. Gene could count over a dozen fires lighting up the dark terrain, the sun finally setting over the horizon line of the environment. 

Gene never thought in her lifetime this would happen, and she took a moment to be grateful for living long enough to see the world like this. The Death Stranding changed the planet, made humanity fall to its knees, but it also left a whole new world to explore in its wake. Mankind felt that they had conquered and seen everything the planet had to offer, only to watch the slate be wiped clean. They’d have to explore their rock in the sky all over again and Gene wanted to be one of those lucky folks to do it.

Despite how much the porter life took a toll on her mentally and physically, Gene was one step closer to her idea of freedom. As much as she liked the colonies she grew up in and the facility of Brisk HARPY, Gene was what her mother called a wanderlust child. Never settling in one place for too long. That was one of the biggest conflicts between Gene and her parents. They were very much like the plants they studied, wanting to stay in one place and expand their roots. Gene on the other hand would rather see all the land there was to offer, never leaving her feet in the ground for too long out of fear her roots would be tethered to one piece of soil for life. 

As she settled down for the night, Gene accessed her cuff link and her personal account through Brisk HARPY and a savings account she had established around the time her and Higgs came to their arrangement. 

“I’m so close. I’m so fucking close I can’t believe it. Higgs bless you, you damn asshole.” Gene whispered to herself excitedly, seeing that Higgs’s side gig was paying off her ultimate goal. She was almost there. Soon she could get out of here, out of the West and make her way to the North, to become one of the first people to rediscover what was once Canada. The UCA charged an arm and a leg for Pioneer recruits to make the journey, and they had to also prove their worth via their stamina and endurance. Being a porter was always going to be the best option in Gene’s case for the vision of the life she had in mind. If Gene was a botanist like her mother and father, that dream would have been expedited due to the fact scientists were of more value for exploration, but her parents path was never hers to take.

“Dad, I wish you could have seen this.” Gene whispered towards the flames, almost as if he could hear her through them. Between the two, Gene’s father was more supportive of his daughter finding her own path in life. She still loved her mother deeply, but she never understood the need to explore, to experience things first hand rather than have a book tell them what to do. Then again, Gene’s mother lived during the time before the Death Stranding and was stuck in the mentality that humanity had already seen what there was to see. It was on beautiful nights like this, where Gene could hear music and even others conversing from afar around their campfires, that she would give anything to have her family back. The way they had been lost to the world, was something that haunted Gene. She never got a chance to say goodbye, it happened so quick. 

Before Gene allowed her guilt to consume her, her mind wandered off to Higgs. At the rate she was going with her finances, it was only a matter of time before she becomes a Pioneer for the UCA. She’d have to say goodbye to Higgs, probably for good. Gene was still wrestling with the idea. He was her only form of attachment to the West; maybe the only reason for ever wanting to come back once she was done exploring whatever the North had to offer. 

“How do I tell him? It’s not like he’d really care either way. Right?” Gene said aloud, rubbing the back of her neck as she sighed frustrated. Gene figured Higgs would move on quickly. He was a Lone Dog, and even after a year of knowing each other, they weren’t exactly buds but Gene couldn’t deny that he was becoming a friend; even if they were both too stubborn to admit it. She thought about maybe not going to his bunker one month and never returning so she wouldn’t have to deal with it, but he deserved to know what was going to transpire. At the very least, she had to do right by him in that regard. Gene realized it was childish to not be upfront and honest with Higgs when he had done nothing but that since the beginning. Well, mostly. 

Gene snapped out of her thoughts as she caught something on the horizon. One by one, the fires from the other campsites began to die out as if a giant force blew them down like candles on a birthday cake. Instinct took over, realizing it was a sign that danger was coming and everyone needed to hide their presence. She quickly threw her jacket over the small fire, patting it down and busted one of her extra canteens open and poured water onto the dying flames. A long stream of sizzled smoke spewed into the air as Gene forced herself to the ground, stomach laying against grass and kept as still as humanly possible to blend in with the rocky terrain. That’s when she heard it, the sound of a caravan approaching from over one of the sloped hills. 

Gene pressed her ear to the ground, her finger tapping every so often to the vibration of the vehicles charging over the land in a flurry. It was a survival trick she picked up from a Fragile Express porter to detect how close an enemy vehicle was and to help one give a rough guess as to how many were coming their way. Tap, tap, tap, tap, the rhythm of Gene’s right index finger began to pick up in pace. The sound of tires screeching making the earth below her ear clamor. It wasn’t stopping and whoever it was Gene’s eyes widened coming to the scary realization, they were coming straight towards her. 

Gene’s shoes skidded into the dirt as she hopped up and threw her porter pack on and made a break to get out of the area or to find somewhere else to hide that wasn’t out in the open. The grassy terrain went on for miles. Adrenaline kicked as she panted heavily, dodging and tumbling over giant masses of rock here and there as the roaring engine of vehicles began to gain ground. Gene didn’t bother looking back to see who was going after her, and she didn’t even want to know at this point. The sound of the engines were nothing familiar to the vehicles the local MULE’s had used. No, these sounded more pristine, more sophisticated in terms of power. This was a foe out in the field she wasn’t familiar with, and that made the danger shoot up by a ten fold. 

There was an unspoken rule among porters: keep your eyes forward and never look back. If you even glanced out of the corner of your eye upon being chased, you were a dead man walking. It seemed that no matter how many rocks she hopped over or even logs she had to climb, the vehicles giving chase would just plow through like raging bulls. Gene wondered how she didn’t see the signs she had been followed. How she never took notice that someone or something was after her. The terror she felt in her gut was venomous. 

Gene’s eyes widened as she skidded to a halt as bright beams of light hit her eyes. Somehow a vehicle had gotten around her, and due to being blindsided, she changed her direction and started heading East, only to have it blocked by another vehicle. This time around, Gene saw it in full. The large oversize thing was black and gold with an Egyptian mask silhouette crossed out with red paint bearing the logo: Homo Demens. Panting heavily as men began to jump out of the husks of metal and steel, Gene found herself encircled like a lion outnumbered by hyenas.

Gene was strong, she could handle her own in terms of a fight, but with thirteen bulky and masked men coming her way, she was but a rat trapped in a corner of a maze and as sweat trickled down her face and began to permeate around her neck, Gene let out a warrior's cry and decided to take the first strike. To hell with her going quietly into the night if that was what fate dealt to her.

Gene tore through two of the men with a flurry of kicks and punches, dodging and ducking in between nearly getting hit or prodded by an electric rod one of the Homo Demens had on them. She used the terrain to her advantage, rolling back over a bounder and then having a stick from a sapling tree collide in the face of one Homo Demen while reaching down to grab a rock and bash it into the skull of another’s helmet before hitting the chest in a tight punch. Minutes felt like an eternity, but Gene was feeling confident despite the odds being against her. These terrorists were idiots, not thinking with their heads on using the environment to take her down. 

Upon using yet another rock to bash another enemy, Gene saw an opening and in a moment of panic and false hope she sprinted towards freedom; to put distance between herself and Homo Demens. She even went as far as to smile as she hopped over a rock but in mid air, a strong force tugged around her neck and threw her down like cattle. Gene was being lassoed and pulled in like a fish caught on a line, and she struggled, kicking and hitting whatever got too close for comfort even going so far as to dig her nails into the dirt and try to crawl away. A various form of masculine laughs could be heard at her weak attempts to break free, and soon she found herself back to square one facing the silhouette of a man that approached her. 

“Quite the feisty little road runner you are!” The callous tone broke through, eventually joining the cackle of the other Homo Demens members as Gene panted, her brows furrowing into a tight glare towards her captor. 

Deeter, the leader of Homo Demens bent down on one knee in front of Gene and her head instinctively pulled away upon seeing the grotesque crimson colored mask with black paint roaming down the eyes like spilled ink. He took it off and firmly gripped Gene by the underside of her chin after removing his mask, squeezing her cheeks as he pulled her closer and took a sniff. She growled and hocked a loogie of spit at him and soon was decked in the face for her defiance. 

Gene tumbled over and coughed, nearly choking as the lasso around her neck grew tighter and she was brought back to her knees. Two men came around, ripping her porter pack off and ransacking her goods along with the UCA priority package. 

“It’s here sir!” One of the men said as Deeter chuckled darkly, looking at Gene with a lustrous malice as he wiped her spit off his face with the backside of a gloved hand. 

“Good! Little sunshine however needs to learn some manners.” 

“Fuck you.” Gene growled. 

“That can be arranged.” Deeter chuckled as he got up and then looked towards the beaming light of the first vehicle that blocked Gene, giving a thunderous applause as another man stepped out of the darkness and into the light. Someone Gene knew, and hoped to god it wasn’t at the same time. 

“Well done Higgs! You’re the same bloodhound as you used to be. Lead us right to the hunt with no fuck ups.” Deeter said proudly. 

“Higgs?!” Gene exclaimed, spitting out blood from her mouth that had gathered behind her teeth from Deeter's punch. 

“Hello darlin’.” Higgs said with a malicious sly as he stood above her in a domineering fashion before getting level with her. His head canting like a predator assessing his prey before the final bite. Gene could feel her heart beating in her throat, as if she would choke not from the rope around her neck but from her nerves.  _ This couldn’t be happening.  _ Gene thought to herself as her head shook, eyes wide as Higgs chuckled at watching her tremble at the realization that what she was seeing before her was indeed real, and it was quickly turning into a nightmare. 

“But--why?” The desperation in Gene’s voice and the revelation of betrayal in her words made Higgs smirk as he looked her over. 

“But why not? I told you before I worked with Homo Demens once upon a time, did jobs for them. I guess you were that stupid after all. You weren’t paying attention honey. Unfortunately for you, my friends here needed something from you. Boy, you sure delivered and then some. A little porter like you should be proud of yourself.” He said coldly. 

“Higgs, I thought we were--”

“Bosom buddies? Companions?  _ Friends _ ?” Higgs taunted as he tisked at her, shaking his head while he mimicked the same motion with his right index finger, as if he were disciplining a child. Some members chuckled at Higgs’s antics, his comedian like displays of power as he lowered his face to Gene’s, getting so close she could feel the hot air of his breath hit her face as he whispered lowly.

“Oh you poor naive little sweet thing. I almost feel sorry for you. You were so easy to please and easy to trust me. Didn’t you learn anything from your delivery boy training? Never trust anyone out here. This is our world, my world, and you walked right into the snake pit.” His right hand then sprinted forward, grabbing the side of her left cheek tightly as his thumb pressed hard into her skin, causing Gene to hiss as she glared at him. The anger she felt in her chest, wanting to scream, wanting to punch him, growing like a flame all the while she shuddered out of fear and sadness. 

“Did you plan this the whole time?” Gene commanded Higgs to answer, her voice straining despite how solid her words had come across as Higgs held her face tightly in the palm of his hand still. “Was saving me back then from David and the MULE’s a part of it too?” 

“Maybe, maybe not. You’ll never know.” Higgs said, his tone leaving Gene with a solid affirmation that she was going to die tonight. 

“Gene, I can’t thank you enough for making me realize what I had been missing out on for three years. You returned me home, and for that, I am in debt to you. See here my friend Deeter,” his head gestured to the side where the Homo Demens leader was, still looking at Gene like she was a snack to consume. “Wanted to have his way with you. Being the little spitfire you are gets his blood running, but out of the kindness of my heart, I convinced him otherwise. I kill you, right in front of the whole gang and leave your corpse to rot out here. You should be thanking me, you’ll get to die doing what you loved most although I think mama and daddy will be truly disappointed in their little girl. Wasted her life living the grind only to end up worm chow. You could have been that cute little scientist but no, you had to be the big girl and take the world on with your boot straps. Ooh poor mama must’ve tried to tame that wanderlust creature within you, but little did she know her baby girl was too tainted for that. It’s no wonder they left you alone in this world, why they didn’t bother to make amends with you after you took the job with Brisk HARPY, and then they upped and died.” 

Tears started to spill from Gene’s eyes as she held her glare. The humiliation unbearable as Higgs used her parents against her in the worst way possible. Higgs knew where to hit Gene where it hurts the most, and worst of all she gave him the ammunition on an open platter with the growing trust she had felt towards him over their year long partnership. Her teeth grit against each other as Higgs feigned concern upon seeing her crying. 

“Oh no, no, no honey. This won’t do. Let's dry those pretty little eyes before you leave this world.” Even his voice sounded concerned, like flipping a switch and he was back to how he once treated Gene before. 

Gene could feel her face being pulled closer to Higgs, her eyes shut as she felt something warm and wet slide down her cheeks. Higgs tongue darted out, licking her tears clean from her face. He did it deliberately slow, making the hairs on the back of Gene’s neck stand at attention as goosebumps littered her arms. She was too shocked to react, feeling gross as he purposefully made his motions slow and steady. Gene could even smell his breath as he pulled back and stood on his feet, grinning down at her as he looked to his right and held out his hand, a member of the group throwing him a gun as he cocked it and pointed the end towards Gene’s head, pressing the muzzle of the gun and crown to her temple. Gene flinched from how cold the piece felt.

Shaking, and in defeat, Gene closed her eyes and looked at Higgs dead in the face. She didn’t want to die, even feared death, but she wasn’t going to show fear to anyone. Not even him. 

“You’ll never get a cleaner shot, Higgs. Don’t miss.” Gene said in a mocking morose tone of voice as she looked into his blue eyes while he chuckled quietly. There was a moment between them as Higgs winked at her, his finger gently rubbing the trigger as Gene noticed he was taking too long.

“It’s been fun, sweetheart.” In a flash Higgs’s eyes darted up along with the gun. He fired off six shots, hitting the chest of one of the Homo Demens guarding the cargo box. The body flew backwards as blood sprayed from the entry points while Higgs quickly aimed for the other man, performing the same action. Higgs dodged Deeter suddenly swinging his arm towards his face, blocking a punch as Gene watched Higgs use the weapon to forcefully slam Deeter back by hitting him in the gut with the end. Deeter flew back, landing on his side as the other members rushed at Higgs, only to stop. 

Gene saw Higgs’s body tense as if something wanted to break out of his form and split him in two, his eyes concentrating on something as he shook and extended his arms. A black like tar, reminding Gene of the BTs took a firm grip at each one of the members of Homo Demens as Higgs lifted his arms. The sludge holding them in place repeating the motion, lifting the terrorists into the air as Higgs yelled towards Gene.

“Gene, grab the package and go! Don’t let them have it!” Tears streamlined down Higgs’s own face from conjuring what little power he had left from Amelie as Gene looked dumbstruck. Not sure if this was a farce or if this was real.

“Gene what the hell are you waiting for? Go!” Higgs yelled, snapping Gene out of the trance. She bounded for the package and took off with it. Higgs gestured with his arms and the members of Homo Demens flew across several directions, screaming as he started running after Gene, trying to catch up with her. 

“Crush them, now! Both of them, now! Get a fucking move on I want them dead, now, now, now!” Deeter screamed as he commanded his troops to get on their feet and head back to the vehicles. He could see them even in the moonlight, fading into little figures as he snarled and got onto one of the trucks to chase them down. 

There was only one thing on Gene’s mind right now, and it was getting the hell out of dodge. Despite what Higgs said, about not letting Homo Demens get their hands on the priority cargo the UCA wanted, Gene could have cared less what the hell they wanted to do with it. The whole world around Gene was flashing before her eyes, only to stop as soon as she saw Higgs running on her left about ten feet away. Had she not been utterly pissed, Gene would have been amazed at how quick he caught up to her. As soon as Higgs came within her vision, she could feel the beams of lights coming off the vehicles hit her back, casting her shadow forward as the piercing round of bullets danced towards her body. They were firing at her and Higgs, and she had an idea. 

“Higgs!” Gene shouted towards him as she tossed the package at Higgs whom caught it fast, holding it to his chest as he ran while Gene began to zigzag. Gene noticed he seemed to have the same idea as Higgs began doing the same thing. 

“Catch!” He shouted, tossing it back to Gene as they played a Russian roulette version of hot potato with the UCA package. They avoided getting shot at and continued their zigzagging pattern to throw the vehicles off and those who were trying to aim. Higgs managed to get ahead of Gene, his feet skidding to the ledge of a cliff leading into a dark crevice within the earth as he held the package close and looked down. Gene saw Higgs let out a yell as a bullet pierced through his upper shoulder and he fell forward down the edge and into the darkness as Gene, having not paying attention to where she was running, soon joined him. 

Gene could feel her body being ravaged by the sharp rocks. Every blunt of force feeling like a punch as she rolled over, coming to the bottom with a thud that in all honesty should have broke every bone. The only thing lessening the impact being some of her porter gear she had left on, the pads absorbing the shock. Gene covered her mouth upon seeing lights beaming down into the giant crevice after the vehicles on top skidded to a halt. She could hear the muffled sounds of Deeter yelling before Homo Demens took off into the night, no doubt trying to find some way to get to her and Higgs. 

Gene took a moment to look around, coughing harsh as she saw that either end went on for miles. It wasn’t long before Higgs approached her, hissing as he held onto his shoulder where the bullet intruded. He was bleeding profusely as he encroached into Gene’s space, reaching a hand out to her.

“You okay Ge--” Before Higgs could finish his sentence, Gene’s fist met with Higgs’s face and he tumbled backwards, cursing up a storm as Gene in fury glared at him.

“Get. The. Fuck. Away. From. Me!” She enunciated each word with utter disdain as Higgs clamored to his feet weakly as he too returned the same courtesy of a glare. 

“The fuck was that for? I just saved you!” He said.

“You turned me over to those creeps for a damn package and lapped my face up like it was some piece of meat all the while tried to terrorize me into submission. You got a lot of fucking nerve to act like nothing happened back there!” Gene spat. 

“I did what I had to do! If you were in my shoes, you would have done the same damn thing!” Higgs said in his defense. 

“Fuck no I wouldn’t! I’m not wired like that Higgs. There are fucking standards!” Gene said firmly. “Stay the hell away from me. I’m going to get this package to the border to end this crap, and when I come around home you better be a million miles from here or I’ll swear I’ll fucking put a cap in your skull.” 

Higgs scoffed as he shook his head. “You don’t have the stomach for killing. You couldn’t even put one Homo Demens member out of his misery even though deep down you knew he wouldn’t have shown mercy if the roles were switched!” 

“Drop dead Higgs, I don’t want to fucking hear it!” Gene looked around, grabbing the package nearby Higgs and shoved him out of the way. He moaned in pain, feeling the bullet hole in his shoulder radiating with pain now as he looked over his shoulder watching her trot off. 

“Yeah, well get in fucking line Gene!” Higgs spat angrily as one of his eyes shut from dirt getting trapped behind his eyelids, his arms spread open as if challenging her to attack, coughing hard as his arms fell to his sides and yelled. “You and many other people in the world want the same damn thing but you’re gonna have to wait your turn! You’re nothing special there!” 

Using the last of her strength, Gene sprinted off. Trying to put as much distance between her and Higgs as possible not wanting to chance him catching up. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	10. Higgs 5.0

**HIGGS 5.0**

Higgs was on the beach again. The grey skies clouded his vision as he could feel the sand caress the soles of his feet. Lord knows how long he had been walking, but his body didn’t seem to mind. Higgs didn’t even mind the fact he was naked. Nothing mattered. He was in some sort of neutral state of zen, neither thinking forward or backward. Suddenly color began to bleed through the grey atmosphere, and Higgs looked up, seeing a planet on fire and asteroids falling from the heavens like angels. Then came the banshee like screaming of thousands, the vibrations from the sound so strong that it forced Higgs to his knees as he covered his ears trying to drown it all out. A towering form began to emerge from the ocean, shadow like and minimally detailed yet he knew that figure all too well: it was his daddy, rushing in a hundred foot wave after him along with several smaller ones making out figures that looked like Gene and his former Homo Demens troupe. 

Higgs was consumed by the waves, thrashing him against sharp rocks and biles of blood and tar. He felt himself falling through the sky, a sea of cries as he saw South Knot City before him with Gene looking up towards the sky. Her right index finger meeting her lips to shush Higgs before the entire city blew up from the nuke Homo Demens launched, taking Higgs with him. It was so realistic, he watched how his skin shriveled up and melted from his body, seeing bone as he tried to scream but no sound would emit. 

Higgs woke up in the shallow end of a river, screaming into the water before he lunged himself out. Breathing heavily, he fell on his back upon crawling to the shoreline. He sniffled a few times, blue eyes darting around trying to find something to keep him grounded, to remind him this was real. That the world around him was not some fever dream. Pain began to erupt in his right shoulder. Higgs hissed as his left hand reached up to give the now infected wound a squeeze, watching from the corner of his eye as pus and dark blood slithered down his skin. 

Higgs’s head fell back, his bottom lip quivering as he steadied himself. There was a throbbing pain that shot through his entire body. The muscles underneath his flesh pulsating in a way that was unnatural and excruciating. He did what he could not to tear up this time. He couldn’t afford too. Higgs also couldn’t afford to be seen like this if god forbid, his old team found him so weak. 

Higgs’s old flock wasn’t so kind to him when he returned to the world of the living three years ago. After an intense argument about what happened with the Extinction Entity and how Higgs was defeated by a lowly carrier boy, Deeter had the group beat the crud out of Higgs to assert his dominance over the organization. Leaving Higgs with nothing short but an inch of his life. He had to feign death in order to get the group to stop hurting him. Somehow after they left, Higgs crawled his way to a terminal and blacked out. 

Higgs pushed the thought behind him as he took a deep breath. His bare chest rising and falling while he concentrated on the sounds of the river flow, ignoring that he was cold and exhausted. That seemed to help him remember he was okay, for the most part. Once the spasms subsided, Higgs leaned up. He licked the bottom of his chapped lip, tasting dried blood from where Gene had punched him. He hadn’t seen her in five days, didn’t know if Homo Demens got her or if she somehow made it to the border in time before they could gain up on her trail. Either way, he hoped Gene didn’t let them steal the package. 

Higgs could care less about humanity as a whole. He was still very much under the assertion that extinction was imminent and if it got sped up, no worries. Humans were circling the porcelain express whether they liked it or not, but he couldn’t let Gene be the catalyst. He couldn’t let her suffer the fate he had blessed to Fragile all those years ago, being blamed for cities and people decimated all because of one little box.

Higgs had a long time to reconcile with what he had done to Fragile, and while he was too proud to ever apologize for his actions, he had his bouts of guilt and shame. The power that Amelie had given him, the purpose he was blessed with, was a high like no other. He grew drunk on its essence. It got to his head, brought the worst of his traits to the light and made him addicted to strength because he had tasted the salvation of oblivion itself and knew what was coming before anyone could comprehend it. Higgs felt like a god, unbent, unbroken and in charge. There was never a feeling quite like it. No words could ever hope to compare. His animosity only exaggerated further due to having DOOMs. 

What he did to Fragile, making her run through the Timefall naked with the nuke, was inhumane. Betraying her company and what she stood for as well, that was the cherry on top. As Higgs thought about his actions from the past, he couldn’t help but see the striking similarities between what happened five nights ago with Gene and what he had done to Fragile three years prior. It hit the same beats, and even Gene’s look of shame and the ferocity of her determined glare was comparable to Fragile’s own. Except this time, Higgs took a different action. He didn’t kill her. As cliche’ as it were to him, there was some kind of hope in that action. 

Higgs stared at his reflection in the water, wiping some stray tears from the corner of his eye along with mud and grime. A series of ripples coming from the other side startled him, causing Higgs to jerk his head up and look. Across the riverbend, Gene was looking right through him. His eyes widened some, mouth slightly parted as he said her name but the words wouldn’t come out. Higgs thought maybe he was hallucinating. His bullet wound was infected after all, and he was not in the greatest position health wise due to it. 

He watched in awe and nervousness as Gene threaded through the water and turned up on the other side. He found himself peering up at her, and again, hitting the same beat, it reminded Higgs of when Fragile saw him broken after his battle with Sam Bridges. Higgs braced himself for a hit to the face, surprised when Gene sat beside him, giving a gap of space as she looked outward towards the water. 

There was a long silence as Higgs looked away from her, turning to gaze at his reflection. He didn’t want to look her in the eye. He didn’t want to give Gene the satisfaction that she had made him feel remorse. 

“I didn’t think I’d see you around these parts.” Higgs said casually, trying to come off suave per usual despite his body language suggesting otherwise. 

“I ran out of water. This was the closest place I could make it to.” Gene said in a neutral tone. Higgs couldn’t see that she tilted her head to the side to look at him. He still didn’t want to look over. 

“They didn’t get the package, did they?” Higgs asked. 

“No. No, I wouldn’t let them have it. I’m still carrying it on me.” 

Higgs could hear Gene undo some of the buckles of her porter pack, sitting the blasted thing down on the other side of her body as she breathed out a sigh of relief, not having to deal with the extra weight. 

“You should really think about tossing that thing into the nearest pit and forget about it. The cargo the UCA wants is a plague. Some virus that latched onto BT essence before they flew the coup. It killed the last of the colonies in the Pacific Northwest a year ago as samples were sent out so that the good ol’ UCA could find a cure before it hits them too. No one knows but us and maybe a handful of folks.” Higgs said, his voice condescending as his eyes lowered. 

“Did Deeter explain that to you?” Gene asked.

Higgs nodded. “You shoulda’ made it to the border by now and dropped it off for the UCA bastards to deal with. Trust me, you don’t want this on your hands.”

Higgs could hear Gene sigh, another moment of silence passed before she spoke again. 

“I tried. This is too much shit for me, but it's too late to bail out. I made it to the border two days ago. It was in flames.” Gene said gravely as Higgs’s nails dug into the dirt nearby. Even he understood the gravity of the situation as Gene continued. 

“Homo Demens, they blew up the whole fucking border Higgs. There’s no safe passage to the East anymore. I contacted my boss, the UCA forced him to give executive orders from the president himself, I have to be the one to finish the job. I wanted to hand it off to another porter, but they won’t accept it. Now I know why--”

“They don’t want the citizens knowing this plague exists, or it’ll dismantle what little security people have in the government. Even united, the UCA is fickle and still trying to get off the ground.” Higgs finished as he interrupted Gene’s flow. She didn’t seem to mind, giving a nod and a small grunt that acknowledged Higgs was probably more than right in that regard. 

“You gonna go through with it?” Higgs asked, his tone more serious than before. 

Gene was quiet, seemingly lost in her thoughts. She shrugged, shaking her head in defeat. “I don’t have much choice. I’m a citizen of the UCA. I have a duty to uphold. To be honest I’m scared shitless, but I can’t afford to lose all the credits I gained. It will all go back to the UCA if I discarded my citizenship and this delivery.”

“You were always the little Eagle Scout. Loyal to a fault. That self righteousness is gonna get you killed one day.”

“You’d do the same if you were me. You know how important freedom is, even if there is a price to pay for it.”

Higgs hummed in affirmation as he smirked a little, tilting his head back up as his eyes wandered to the sky. “Tell me something, what did you intend to do with that money you earned being my personal maid?”

Gene snorted at the comment “I was going to pay for my one way ticket to the North, the far North. I was gonna be a part of the UCA Pioneer program to see if there is anything left of Canada. I want to get far away from this place. I don’t like being in one spot for too long.”

Higgs sighed, his expression looked saddened at the news. He didn’t bother to hide it, but he still couldn’t bring himself to face Gene at all. “I’m sure you’ll find your way.” 

The currents of the river began to pick up, the striding noises of the waves brushing against the rocks nearby. That was the only sound that came between Higgs and Gene. No words, but mutual silence as they both thumbled through their brains on the situations they had inadvertently become a part of. 

Higgs cleared his throat. “Did you purposefully come find me, or was this by chance due to the border blowing up?” 

He finally forced himself to look at Gene as she stared at him. For once, Higgs found it hard to read her body language. She looked so stoic it nerved him.

“Maybe a little bit of both.” Gene said, her tone mocking the catch phrase he chimed at her more than once. Higgs gave a tired snort at the answer as Gene continued. “You’re a fucking asshole, Higgs. I’m still processing what happened, but you saved me for the third time now. From people you used to ride with no less. I owe you a favor at the very least.” 

“Darlin’ you don’t owe me shit.” Higgs said bluntly, shaking his head. He thought for a moment she was insane to keep up with her altruistic bullshit of paying it forward. If she had one fatal flaw that Higgs knew old him would take advantage of, that would be it. He was surprised Gene wasn’t dead by now due to this moral code of hers.

“If you feel that bad about it,” Gene paused and considered her words. “Then help me deliver this package to the UCA.” 

Higgs furrowed his brows, looking dumbstruck at the request. His voice scratchy this time around. “I couldn’t help you there even if I wanted to. I set foot anywhere their turf, I’m done for.” 

Gene breathed heavy through her nose, conveying her disappointment as far as Higgs was concerned. 

“Because of your previous affiliation with Homo Demens?” 

“Bingo, chickadee.” Higgs said. “I’ve done a lot of bad shit in my time with that crowd. More than you know.”

“You don’t have to explain yourself. I get it.” Gene said sincerely as Higgs sighed. 

“No, you really don’t, but I would appreciate it if you didn’t pry.” Higgs said, his voice teetering on the edge of defense all the while his overall tone was soft. It was his way of letting Gene know he wasn’t taking offense, but at the same time holding his ground when it came to his past dealings. Now wasn’t the time nor place to talk about it. She appeared to get the idea. 

“You know how they work, being on the inside at one point. You know how they coordinate. With this plague I literally got strapped to my back, I’m gonna have a lot more to contend with than just MULEs. The route I’m going on is one that hasn’t been taken in three years, the Eastern Trail. The last courier finishing it being the porter Sam Bridges himself when he connected the Chiral Network. I have never been on it, but you have. You told me before this last year that when you used to be a porter, you’d been that way. Close enough anyhow.” 

“That was a long time ago.” Higgs said dismissively, not liking where this conversation was heading. 

“Higgs, I can’t do this without you.” Gene said pleading with him. “I can’t survive terrorists coming after me without your help.” 

Higgs didn’t say anything, leaving Gene alone with her thoughts before she took Higgs off guard. 

“You have the withdrawals,”

“Hm?” 

“DOOMs. You suffer from DOOMs withdrawal. I saw you seizing up earlier.” 

“Shit that's embarrassing.” Higgs said with blunt sarcasm, all the while he was screaming inside. He kept many things hidden and to himself, not wanting to be seen as weak. He wasn’t raised to be a piss baby, and he felt like he had been caught with his drawers down in front of Gene with her calling his condition out. 

“That explains why you flaked out at past meetings when you were ‘sick’ and the powers you used on your ex buddies.” 

“Do you want a trophy for your little detective work?” Higgs asked, Gene rolled her eyes at his sarcastic counter.

“No. I just feel sorry for you, that’s all. I heard it's horrible.” She said sincerely. 

Higgs nodded and his eyes gazed around the clear waters surface of the riverbed, watching as some bugs hopped about while he debated with himself. He felt trapped between a rock and a hard place, but in the end what was right is right. Fragile’s face briefly flashed in his head.  Higgs made peace with it. He wasn’t going to allow Gene to run through this personal Timefall on her own. 

“I’ll get you there as far as I can, but I can’t go into any UCA territory. You’ll be on your own when we’re a quarter way from the nearest city. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.” Higgs said, gazing at her seriously. Gene appeared legitimately surprised. There were no other words to be spoken of, no praise or thank yous. Higgs was aware Gene understood he wasn’t that kind of person. She gave a simple nod. It was all that was needed. 

Higgs watched as Gene reached over to her pack and began taking out some things. He wondered how she managed to get her items returned considering Homo Demens ransacked all her belongings before attempting to steal the plague box. Some alarms went off in Higgs head as Gene scooted closer to him and began touching near the site where he was shot in the shoulder. His first instinct was to shrug her off, which he attempted, but it didn’t get the point across that he didn’t want to be touched. Once her fingertips went around the edges of his skin, there was no fighting it. 

“Does it hurt you a lot?” Gene asked, assessing the damage as Higgs grunted and gave a nod as he could feel the site beginning to seize up with stings from her fingertips gently pressing. 

“Yeah, be careful with whatever the hell you plan on doing.” Higgs said firmly as he watched her like a hawk. Higgs had plenty of wounds and injuries in his time, but he never had someone else take care of him like this. Not even his own daddy did that. 

Higgs was nervous as Gene cleaned the spot up with some of the water from the river before disinfecting with what little medic supplies she had. There was a euphoria growing in the pit of his stomach, being shown he was cared for. The touch starvation he had since childhood didn’t help in this department either. His face felt warm as he closed his eyes and turned his direction forward. There was a peace he hadn’t felt. His head lolled some as if subconsciously trying to lean in for more.

“Higgs?” 

Gene’s concerned voice caught Higgs off guard as he looked down at his shoulder and noticed her hands were elsewhere on his arm. She was looking at the underside of it, seeing the distinctive oval shapes of cigarette scars. Higgs felt himself zoning out, his body was trying to go on autopilot to avoid having to talk about the marks.

“Who did that to you?” Gene asked as Higgs searched for the words. 

“My daddy did when I was little.” Higgs said sadly, not meaning to show how vulnerable and uncertain he felt. Too little too late. His bottom lip quivered as his mind rushed, thinking back to one of the various times his uncle had beaten the tar out of him for wanting to go outside their bunker and see the world. There were more scars on his body from the man alone than he could count, but Higgs had no intention of walking down memory lane for every one. 

When Gene began to touch one of the raised bumps, Higgs out of self preservation darted his arm across and grabbed her hand forcefully and held it in place, causing a gasp to escape from Gene as she wasn’t expecting the sudden action. He looked scared, like a deer caught in the headlights before being slain.

“Don’t do that. Please don’t.” He pleaded with her. It was the first time he had ever done such a thing, not just with Gene, but anybody. Gene nodded several times, muttering okay and waited for him to loosen his grip on her hand. Gene gave him some space while he processed what he was experiencing. 

Once Higgs calmed down some time later, he wrapped his arms around his legs, curling his body up as his head tilted away from Gene while she finished tending to the injury on his shoulder. Higgs would never admit it, but he felt happy being around her again. 

“I don’t expect you to forgive me.” 

Gene was about to say something, figuring Higgs was referring to the stunt he pulled with her when it came to Homo Demens and Deeter. Before she could get her words across, Higgs leaned his body towards her side and eventually came to rest his head on the crook of her neck, eyes closed. He was still curled in a ball, like a kid wanting to rock himself to sleep when too stressed. Gene was shocked, not knowing the extent of what Higgs was going through mentally, but she didn’t fight it. Gene kept still, looking out towards the river as she could tell Higgs was drifting off to sleep, too tired from his injuries to do anything else. 

“Water under the bridge.” She murmured. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	11. Gene 6.0

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, just a heads up! There's some discussion on sexuality and such in this chapter. Read at your own risk. Also the song Higgs sings to is called Hard Time Floor Killing Blues. It was by a delta blues singer named Skip James, a really powerful song for its time in the Great Depression. There's also a version of it by Chris Thomas King which I used more of as a basis for Higgs and how he sings it. As cliche' as it is, I wanted to incorporate the song into the fic as I've been listening to it while writing. It's been one of the few on my playlist that's helped me come up with the story and Gene's characterization. Anyhow thank you once more for making it this far, have fun!

**GENE 6.0**

“Where the fuck did you get that?” Gene asked as Higgs came strolling into their camp, the fire illuminating Higgs body, holding the neck of a makeshift guitar in his left hand. He didn’t answer right away, taking a seat against a rock near the fire as he began fiddling with the strings, his face scrunching from time to time cause of the instrument being out of tune. 

“Another camp nearby. Don’t think they’ll be needing it.” 

Gene raised a brow at him, looking pissed as Higgs stopped strumming for a moment and made a face towards her. There was no way she was going to let it slide. This being the seventh time or so within a week that Higgs had gone for a little walk only to return with bizarre shit that didn’t belong to him. 

“I’ll return it in the morning before the owners come snooping around, scouts honor.” He said sarcastically and went back to fiddling around with the tacky guitar. Gene could tell Higgs was in no mood to banter or argue.

Taking the Eastern Trail was exhausting, but somehow during the last month Gene and Higgs found a way to cope. Since this was Higgs’s second walk in the park, he fared better than her. There was a time they both went three days without eating, having run out of food rather quickly between the two of them. In this land, there wasn’t any game to be had, and Higgs couldn’t provide in that regard. When the two of them picked up on a heavenly aroma nearby a traveler settlement, they couldn’t resist temptation. Higgs snuck in first, making a break for the meat that was cooling down near the campsite while Gene snuck the rations. Higgs wasted no time making a beeline out of the area, while Gene, feeling a bit guilty took a moment to transfer some credits over to the campers via the network. She even left a couple of likes, saying anonymously on their cuff links ‘thanks for the food!’ before she rushed to catch up with Higgs. 

Gene was walking down memory lane, smiling to herself as she looked up at the night sky. There was not a single cloud in sight. She could see the stars glimmering like those extinct fireflies her dad had always talked about. A childlike thought crossed her mind, how cool it would be to hold onto something like that. Something with so much power that it could emit across light years. 

Gene’s thoughts crashed as she heard Higgs hit a few rough notes on the guitar, still trying to get the blasted thing in tune. She already knew this was going to get them into nothing but trouble. As much as Gene admired Higgs’s resolve to keep going till the bitter end, there were times she wished he would just give up on something for the sake of sparing her agitation. 

“Higgs, I don’t think it's going to play for you.” Gene said with a sigh as he briefly looked up at her then went back to fiddling. 

“Shut up. You’re just grouchy because of all the hiking we had to do.” 

“Why do you go out of your way to irritate me?” Gene huffed as Higgs smirked to her remark, adjusting one of the makeshift knobs of the guitar. 

“It’s because you rise to the occasion honey.” 

He managed to get a chuckle out of Gene as she settled for not arguing with Higgs over the guitar anymore. She adjusted her body, turning to the side as she looked over the flames and at Higgs. He looked up once more, stopping briefly with his ministrations on the instrument looking curious. 

“Got something on your mind?” He asked bluntly. 

“Yeah,” Gene started. “You never told me why you became a porter in the first place. You always say its a bedtime story for another day, well, I want a damn story tonight.” 

“Jesus, aren’t we demanding tonight.” Higgs joked as Gene stared him down never once blinking. She caught onto the fact Higgs didn’t much care for that habit of hers, and she used it to her advantage especially when it comes to prying something out of him. Gene assumed he might have found it intimidating as funny as it were. 

Higgs sighed, looking defeated as he stopped playing the guitar but held it in his lap all the same as he took in a breath. His eyes glancing around as if trying to piece together his lost memories of that time. 

“Well, after I split from my daddy I wandered around. I killed him in self defense, so I was out of it and mindlessly walked the earth. A UCA colony picked me up. I was raised with other kids who came from prepper families. I thought I was fucked in the head, but began to realize I was a Christmas angel compared to the likes of them. I isolated myself from the pack, began hanging out with some of the old timers that started the porter trades, and they taught me the rules of the game. They tried to convince me to settle, but I never considered myself attractive for starting a family. The rest is history. Once upon a time, I had my own little business called PHARAOH HOUNDS. I lost a lot of money, but I took pride in the fact people began to count on me to help them. I developed a reputation, catching the eye of none other than Fragile Express itself and we merged. Then I began my descent into helping the sons of bitches in Homo Demens and now here we are.” 

The corner of Gene’s lips tugged into a smile as Higgs lamented on his past. At this point of the journey, he had opened up more to her about his life. Gene was familiar with his abusive uncle, his daddy as Higgs referred to the dead prick and how he acquired DOOMs. Higgs even went so far as to warm up to Gene helping him out when he had his bouts of the withdrawals, talking to him through the episodes since no medicine on earth could cure it. It was amazing to Gene how he went from keeping to himself like a locked chest to suddenly being more honest with not only her but himself. Gene liked to think Higgs was somehow coping better with his life with how hard she discovered it to be. 

“I never knew about the merger. What happened between you and that company?” Gene asked curiously as Higgs sighed, his own lips forming into a morose smile from what Gene could make out through the warm flames of the campfire, cackling with sharp snaps at it consumed debris and branches. 

“I screwed over Fragile herself. The gal that ran the joint.” Higgs said with a grunt as he adjusted his body. Gene watched as he swung his right leg over his left, moving the guitar so he could hold it up better and began playing again. He’d turn the knobs gently from time to time, still working on the fine tuning and eventually settled on something that was decent enough that he could play a simple melody. 

“Not for nothing,” Gene started as Higgs looked up at her from time to time as he played. “If you lived in the SUNFLOWER colony where I come from, you could have had a harem.” 

The strings on the guitar stuttered to a halt for a brief second as Gene could see her comment on his appearance put Higgs in the spotlight. The blood was probably rushing to his face, but Gene couldn’t make it out due to the fire camouflaging any sign he was embarrassed. Higgs was quick to knock it down a peg, giving a dark chuckle before he went back to playing. 

“Now you've become a good bullshitter.” Higgs said as Gene shook her head. 

“I’m serious. At least you don’t look like an inbred pack MULE.” 

“Consider me flattered. Let me return the favor,” Higgs’s eyes traveled up through the flames as Gene smiled at him and waited for whatever he was about to say. “I bet you managed to find a way to get enough tail in your time.” 

“You saying I’m cute?” Gene asked surprised and flushed with embarrassment as she watched Higgs shrug, feigning he had no idea what she was talking about.

“I didn’t say you were ugly.” Higgs said as a matter of fact. 

Gene decided to take the compliment and laughed quietly as she moved, looking back up at the sky as her hands went behind her head to give support. She too crossing her legs and getting comfortable much like what Higgs did.

“Yeah, I had my share. Guys, gals. I never stayed long enough to see if some bond would form. It’s like the old saying, scratching an itch. I didn’t find people interesting enough to form a connection to. If you top on me wanting to be a Pioneer, the pickings were slim. What about you?” 

“Hm?” 

“You ever been with anybody Higgs?” Gene asked, turning her head to look in his general direction. There was a long silence, the fire being the only thing that spoke between them. Gene had the impression she crossed a line, and got ready to change the subject only to be interrupted by Higgs speaking his turn. 

“Well, as you know, the porter life doesn’t leave one much time for things like that. So no. I can’t say I have.” 

Gene was surprised, at first thinking Higgs had to be shitting around with her but his silence spoke a thousand words and the truth itself. 

“So, never anything--?” 

Higgs’s exasperated sigh at being out to her in that manner of speaking interrupted whatever Gene was going to say. 

“I mean much like you needing an itch scratched, yeah, I got that taken care of. Getting blown, whatever the hell you want to call it.” 

“Guys, gals?” 

“Does it matter in the kind of world we live in?” Higgs asked, sounding legitimately curious to Gene as she shrugged, letting out a small huff of a laugh.

“I guess not.” Gene yawned deeply, stretching her legs and felt her toes curl into the soles of her shoes before she pressed further. “There had to have been someone you liked though. Heck, even I kind of did at one point.” 

Higgs chuckled. “I can tell you’ll never let me slide out of this one.” 

“Probably not.” Gene laughed. 

“Fragile, I sort of had a soft spot for her. Had a hunch she had been crushing on me for a while after the merger.” Higgs explained as Gene whistled in surprise, giving a round of applause as she laughed. Higgs muttered something to the degree of ‘fuck you’ under his breath a couple of times as Gene let out an ‘awe’ at the confession, further putting Higgs in the hot seat as she turned her full attention back towards him.

“That’s adorable. Besides getting caught up with Homo Demens and screwing her over, why didn’t anything happen between the two of you?” 

Higgs sighed sadly. He seemingly lost in thought, trying to think of a way to confess without telling Gene what he had done to Fragile. 

“There was always a wrong place, wrong time. Given what I told you about my daddy’s parenting, I didn’t get certain cues to indicate I was desired. I didn’t think I was good enough for her anyhow.” He took in a deep breath, exhaling as Gene watched him look up at the stars now, strumming along the rusted guitar strings quietly to himself. “I was afraid Gene. I was really afraid.” 

There was something truly painful behind the last of his words that left Gene speechless. Enough to the point where she felt it best not to discuss the matter further. She had already dug a deep enough hole that might’ve collapsed on itself if she kept wanting to reach the bottom. Her attention drifted away from Higgs, focusing on her body. She ached everywhere. Her mind longed for a decent night's rest. Between the two of them, Gene had only been getting five hours each night. Less when it was her turn to be the night owl during dusk, keeping a look out for MULEs trying to sneak their way into camp not to mention making sure Homo Demens weren’t around. Gene was close now, close to drifting away into whatever dreams awaited. 

“Hard time here and everywhere you go, harder than ever been before.” The sound of Higgs singing tore Gene temporarily out of her sleep, not expecting it. She was too drained to watch him, but as the new melody on the guitar picked up she listened to the soothing sound of his voice, permeating the sky around them both. He had never sung before around her. For a moment, Higgs sounded like a completely different person. Gene liked whoever this stranger was that showed himself through Higgs. He didn’t sound so broken. 

“And the people are driftin' from door to door. Can't find no heaven, I don't care where they go. And you say you had money, you better be sure 'cause these hard times will drive you from door to door. Uh huh, hmm, hmm. Sing this song and I ain't gonna sing no more. Sing this song and I ain't gonna sing no more. These hard times will drive you from door to door.” 

Higgs continued humming the rest of the tune, his head gently rocking back and forth as his fingers did the talking for him on the guitar. He hadn’t played since he was in the colonies with the old timers. There was a certain callback to nostalgia he felt, back when things were simpler. Higgs missed how naive he used to be. 

Gene began to recognize the haunting melody, knowing it was an old song from the past. Ancient from what the colonist kids would have said, but it spoke to her on a level she couldn’t describe; like calling her out on the fact she never stayed put for too long in life, even with the porter life. In a way, it felt like Higgs was calling her out but doing it in such a way that she understood he was trying to warn her about the pain that kind of life entailed. Higgs understanding it better than anyone else. 

As the flames began to die, the fire itself turning in to sleep, Higgs strummed the last few tabs from what he knew of the song. His humming grown quiet before he put the guitar down and got up. He walked a few feet towards Gene, lying down opposite of her, the top of his head touching hers before turning his neck to the side and closing his eyes. Gene was aware of his touch starvation, then over the month grew to the idea of letting Higgs get close enough when he needed it as long as he didn’t push boundaries. 

“Hey, Higgs.” Gene said tiredly as Higgs hummed in return, he almost passed out.

“You sound like a muppet when you do that Peter Englert voice.” 

Higgs reached up and quickly gave Gene a slug to the shoulder as they both chuckled sleepily. 

“Fuck you Gene.” 


	12. Higgs 6.0

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I thought I would take a moment to share something important with my readers. I suffer from chronic pain due to fibromyalgia and arthritis. I've been getting a lot of questions as to how I'm able to type these chapters fast, and this is kind of a rarity for me given the pain I'm constantly under. So when I have an idea and my body isn't trying to destroy me, I write like a speed demon lol, so that way I get out my thoughts before I go through a long term flare up. It sucks, but I just want to say that if you put your mind to it if you suffer from chronic pain like me, you can do anything. Thanks for reading! I will update the next chapter as soon as I can!

**HIGGS 6.0**

“Wakey, wakey.” Higgs murmured against Gene’s ear the following morning as he gently shoved her back while keeping his eyes on the horizon, his gaze dead set on the small caravan of travelers who were looking around Genes and his area with weapons. Gene let out a yawn, rolling over in the grass and it took Higgs every amount of effort not to roll his eyes at the action. She was a heavy sleeper during the worst of times Higgs found out. There had been several occasions during the month where Gene slept through danger and somehow survived. A land mine going off being one of them and her body didn’t so much as jump. How she wasn’t dead yet surprised the crud out of Higgs. 

“Gene, get your ass up. We got company.” His request was more demanding this time around as Gene’s eyes began to flutter open. He watched her rub the sleep out of her eyes, seeing Higgs was lying flat on his stomach and she quickly registered there must’ve been trouble. She mirrored Higgs as he focused his attention from Gene and back onto the intruders. 

“Fuck,” Gene started as Higgs hummed to himself, trying to figure out if these folks were just passing by or if they were looking for trouble. They appeared to be searching for someone or something from what he could judge. Either way, Higgs knew Gene and him couldn’t risk getting too friendly with travelers or otherwise. The virus they were fixing to give to the UCA being a huge detriment to seeking help from anyone or interacting. Higgs too understood Gene and him had to play their cards right when it came to fights; he rationally explaining a while back when Gene wanted to track down a group that stole her spare shoes not to bother because they needed whatever strength they had to be able to take down Homo Demens and MULEs. Pitty disputes were not something to waste one's breath upon given the circumstances of their delivery route. The Eastern Trail, the one Sam took to bring the Chiral Network online, was a hellscape like no other. Even without BTs, Higgs knew the land well enough to foresee dangerous events from the environment alone.

“What do you think they want?” Gene finished as Higgs squinted his eyes. He was watching the group bending down on occasion, no doubt looking for footprints based on their posture. 

“No clue. I think we need to leave, quietly.” He said in a whisper as Gene nodded and began to move, army crawling backwards along with Higgs. Higgs moved quicker than Gene due to his experiences moving his body through rough terrain. She seemed to struggle and from time to time, Higgs would pause to watch her to make sure Gene didn’t get caught on anything or hurt herself. He let out a sigh of relief seeing she managed to get her porter pack on her person without alerting the troupe as they slowly began to rise up from the grassy terrain. Higgs judged they were far enough to where if Gene and he needed to run, they would be put a considerable amount of distance between themselves and the men ahead of them. 

“Hey, you there!” A voice shouted as Higgs and Gene gasped in unison. 

“That’s the fuck that stole the guitar!” 

“Get them!” 

“Fuck me!” Higgs exclaimed as Gene looked up at him angrily. 

“You told me you were going to return it before they got back?” Gene asked accusingly as Higgs smirked, which then turned into a huge grin as he backed up and braced himself. 

“Slipped my mind?” Higgs shrugged. “Run!” 

Higgs hadn’t realized he gained more ground than Gene as he sprinted towards a small gathering of trees nearby where giant rocks littered the earth like trash. His endurance was far greater than hers, as he was reminded the few times he accidentally left Gene in the dust. Despite it being a pain in his rear, Higgs made up for out speeding her by finding good hiding spots so that by the time Gene would come tracking into his area he’d have them well guarded from whoever was chasing them, be it MULEs or otherwise. 

Higgs managed to find an alley between two large rocks. The inside dark enough to where if Gene and him hunkered down just right, the void would hide them from the chasers. He skidded into the small crevice and waited. Gene couldn’t be too far behind, and he could pick up on her shoes as gained more ground. As soon as she came bounding by, Higgs reached out and snatched her. His right palm covering her mouth as she let out a sharp gasp and he pulled her into the hidey hole, his other arm wrapping around her as he quickly pulled Gene’s body to his chest and held her there. His palm let up on her mouth as he peered out for a brief moment. 

“What are you a boa constrictor?” Gene hushed accusingly at Higgs while he shushed Gene and once more, covered her mouth. Higgs swallowed as he could hear the gang getting closer to their location. He also noticed how Gene’s pulse throbbed in her throat, and how squeezed in they both were in the crevices valley, the rock formation digging into Higgs back like small daggers. To say it was uncomfortable was an understatement, but some part of him enjoyed the physical contact he was having with Gene. 

“Are they gone, Higgs?” Gene piped up, managing to pry his hand off of her mouth

“Gene will you shut the fuck up?” Higgs spat in an angry whisper, he could hear the gang getting closer. They couldn’t be farther than ten feet away. 

“Sorry, I get claustrophobic!” 

“Sh!” 

“They had to have come over here!” One of the travelers piped up and both Higgs and Gene’s eyes widened as they did their best to keep absolutely still. They both managed to find some way to make their breathing slow despite adrenaline telling them otherwise. Higgs could feel the cool air from the morning brush against his hair as sweat trickled down his forehead and landed on top of Gene’s head as they both in unison turned the corner to observe what was happening before shirking back upon seeing three men come into vision. 

“Fuck, lost them!” 

“Stupid cunts.” One murmured as he sighed bitterly. 

“Fucked the guitar up too. I had that thing in tune!” 

Both Higgs and Gene looked at each other at hearing the remark, both expressing with their faces that the asshole chasing them was full of it given the treatment Higgs had to give the guitar last night to even play a simple song. Their gazes went back to the darkness that shielded them. Occasionally they swallowed nervously, still hearing the men on the prowl. 

“Ugh, we’re wasting our time. They’re long gone. Let’s move out!” Higgs heard the assumed ring leader shout and he listened carefully for them to step away. 

Both he and Gene remained in spot for a solid ten minutes, not wanting to risk coming out too soon and bumping into the troop. As soon as Higgs got the firm impression the coast was clear, he ventured out, trying not to shove Gene further into the side of the rocky surface of the crevices wall. He eventually got out in full and looked towards the distance where the group had turned tail and ran. Higgs gestured with his fingers for Gene that the coast was clear and to come out which she did promptly. 

They zoned out for a moment, both inhaling and exhaling a deep breath neither realized they had been holding back before small chuckles began to burst into hard laughter. Higgs’s laughter became worse as Gene began wheezing in between sharp breaths as she fell forward, her head landing on Higg’s shoulder as she laughed into his upper chest. Truth be told, Higgs wasn’t sure why this was funny considering they were sitting ducks moments ago having no weapons to defend themselves with, but he felt euphoric. It was the most fun he had in a long while. Higgs couldn’t deny the thrill of being chased got his blood running at times especially when the odds were in his favor. He liked feeling clever compared to those that pursued him. 

“See, this is why I get on your case when you steal shit that don’t belong to you.” Gene said in between her fits, eventually moving away from Higgs as her right hand covered her stomach, feeling her abdomen spasm from how hard she bellowed. 

Higgs shook his head and sighed in defeat as he held up his hands in surrender. “Alright, I promise I won’t steal as often.” 

Higgs smirked down at Gene as his laughing died down. She growled a little, shaking her head. 

“We both know you’re lying.” Gene said honestly. 

“Yeah, but it's the thought that counts right?” Higgs countered and gave Gene a playful slug to the shoulder. She feigned it had hurt, going so far as to rub the spot he hit as Higgs began walking backwards then turned to face forward. 

“Well, we should get this party on the move.” Higgs said as Gene smiled, grabbing the straps of her porter pack as she followed alongside him. 

“Lead the way cowboy.” 

The comment made Higgs’s cheeks flush as he made sure to avoid looking at Gene for a good while.

Two weeks went by in a flash. In the grand scheme of things, Higgs knew they were making good time. They had yet to encounter Homo Demens, and dodging MULEs was relatively easy since many Higgs were familiar with in the past all traveled Westward. There wasn’t much left to offer in the East now that territory had been expanded for the UCA. Both Gene and him encountered more travelers. Higgs was thankful they kept to themselves, minus the few times Gene went out of her way to do trades so they could make up for discarded gear among other useful items. Higgs made sure to keep his distance but keep Gene within his sights if things went South, but he went out of his way to hide his face the closer they became East bound; not wanting to set off any potential UCA Inquisitors or get turned into the authorities. Higgs had to hand it to her, Gene knew how to approach strangers. It was a trait of hers Higgs both admired and envied. He never was that brave when it came to social interactions. The charismatic and borderline egotistical persona Higgs made an act to protect himself from getting hurt. 

As Higgs realized both Gene and him were that much closer to the border, he was beginning to dread the inevitable. Higgs knew that once they were a quarter away from (insert city) they would have to go their separate ways. Being a realist, Higgs knew when the time would come that it would probably be the last he’d see Gene in this short life. She made it clear as soon as this BT plague was delivered to the UCA scientists, she was getting that one way ticket to the Far North and had no intentions of coming back to the states due to the likelihood Homo Demens would continue their pursuit of her long after taking care of the delivery. Higgs, knowing Deeter and how much of a deviant he was, believed it. The few times Higgs allowed himself to recall the sexual comments he said towards Gene made Higgs’s blood run hot. He didn’t appreciate anyone seeing Gene less than human when it came to such things. 

Higgs made a pact with himself, that as soon as Gene was out of the states, he was going to put an end to Homo Demens. He had brought them into power that they never should have had, and being the ex leader, it was his responsibility to set things right. Higgs was going to start with Deeter and take them out one by one until Homo Demens faced their own extinction. It would be his way of keeping Gene safe long after she departed. Higgs wasn’t sure what he would do after that, knowing he couldn’t go back to the hermit life after spending all this time with Gene. He didn’t want to be alone any longer, but he was still scared to join a colony and start over. It would take time, but Higgs knew he had to get over his bullshit if there was any hope of recovering from the loss he was about to face. 

As Gene and Higgs approached a settlement, where travelers decided to make their home out in the open outside of UCA or colony comforts, he could feel his stomach twist in knots as he knew it wasn’t much farther now. He glanced over at Gene, observing how happy she looked. It brought a brief smile to his face seeing she was still very much passionate about her porter job. 

“How far do you think we got now Higgs?” Gene asked, snapping Higgs out of his observations of her as he cleared his throat and shrugged, looking ahead. 

“I’d reckon’ another four days. The area is more or less the same even with these small towns popping up. I don’t think we have any obstacles to worry about.” Higgs replied as Gene scrunched her brows, eyeing Higgs carefully as they began their descent into the settlement. 

“Why the hell do you look so sad?” 

Gene was so blunt it took Higgs by surprise. 

“Scuse’ me?” 

“This last week you’ve looked more depressed than usual. A bit snappy too. What’s going on Higgs?” 

Higgs shrugged, giving a dismissive shake with his head. “Strolling down memory lane has been hard. S’all.” Higgs lied, not wanting to tell her the truth as to why he was slowly becoming more and more miserable. He was good at putting on an act, Gene never questioned it again. 

“Maybe when you get to head home, you’ll feel better.” Gene offered with a sincere smile as Higgs nodded at her suggestion. He couldn’t understand why his chest was beginning to ache as Gene waved to some of the settlements check point attendants as they were both welcomed into the town of Little Knot. 

Higgs was careful around folks in the settlement, but he was thankful most were just passerby's. Some were porters making long haul trips and others mere explorers. These seemed to be Gene’s folks down to a T as she got caught up in conversation with a small group, giving Higgs a chance to excuse himself and go looking around for supplies and seeing what Little Knot had to offer. He came across a man that sculpted with scraps, much like what Higgs did with his Egyptian stuff back home. They talked briefly, Higgs not wanting to get caught up in small talk, and the older gentlemen seemed to take the hint. Towards the end of their short conversation, Higgs searched his pockets for something of value, wanting to exchange it for one of the older man’s small clothes scrap flowers that he called a kanzashi. Higgs never heard of it before, but he hoped Gene would like it. 

Higgs grew to know Gene wasn’t overtly feminine, but she did appreciate the little things like flowers because of her upbringing from her botanist parents. Higgs figured the small kanzashi hair clip he got for her would be enough of a good going away present as any. He traded in one of his small Anubis statues he carved from soapstone and observed the small fabric flower. It was cerulean with black and gold speckles in some of the material, an odd combo but it reminded him of Gene’s personality. He quickly tucked it into one of his pockets of his cloak as he could see Gene in the distance getting grub from a food truck line. She waved him down, letting Higgs cut in line ahead of a large number of folks. They gave him and her daggers, but Gene was quick to flip them off and carry on. Higgs snorted, stifling a laugh from it as he joined her. 

“This ain’t half bad.” Gene said, nodding in approval as she consumed the weird sludge like substance on her platter. Higgs was weary of the food, but once consumed a spoon full and let the odd flavors rattle his tongue, he nodded in approval. 

“I think I heard one of the cooks say its made out of scrap of meat from whatever folks find out here.” Higgs said with a shrug as Gene and him ate quietly. The sound of a radio playing old blues rock in the distance permeating the atmosphere of Little Knot. The stuff was ancient, but given how everyone’s spirits seem to pick up since the BTs and Timefall left, the oldies seemed to fit the new era. 

“I heard something interesting from one of the folks that live here permanently.” Gene piped up, sounding enthusiastic as Higgs smirked after raising a brow at Gene, questioning why she suddenly paused there. 

“The ball is in your court sweetheart, don’t leave the audience hanging.” Higgs joked as Gene laughed and ate another bite of the free dinner they got. 

“Little Knot has a tradition that the last person to arrive here tattoos the next newbies who come through if they want. I’m thinking of going for it.” 

Higgs’s eyes widened a little bit as he amusingly laughed. “I didn’t take you for the type of gal that would get inked.” 

“I saw some of your Egyptian tattoos before when we went to that spring earlier in the month and thought ‘what the hell’. If the opportunity comes, I’m gonna take it.”

“Now this I gotta see.” Higgs said with an enthusiastic chuckle. He wasn’t expecting Gene to jump up right away, sitting the platter down by their small fire and begin making her way to the spot where the ceremony was going to happen. Higgs this time was left in the dust, trying to set his meal down quick enough as he chased her down, eventually walking alongside her as they came upon a group of ten who were bullshitting for the night about their trip experiences, some teasing their friends about how bad it was gonna hurt getting tatted up to try to up the anxiety in their fellow companions. 

Higgs was under the assumption that the tattooing would be done with a 3-D laser, but his eyes widened upon seeing the long and thick knife a long beard man was holding. The end flaming hot with lava colored steam as he would occasionally dip it into a firepit full of embers. He had no idea the tattoos were going to be burnt into the flesh, and it seemed Gene wasn’t expecting it either as he looked over, watching her throat bob out of nervousness. 

“Can always change your mind.” Higgs said, not wanting to scare her from doing what she wanted, but given his experiences with his daddy burning him with cigarettes, Higgs knew this was going to hurt like a bitch. 

“Nah, I’ve come this far. I got this.” Gene said, psyching herself up as the man dipping the blade into the pit once more raised a hand to shush the group and speak. 

“Alright you bastards, Little Knot welcomes you to the new frontier of the states and for that you will be blessed by this here old style of branding. Yes, you heard it was a tattoo but you heard wrong! All of us will bear the mark of the rising sun as we head out into a new world with no BTs, making whatever future we can dream of. This mark represents the short time we have spent together, and we hope you remember that no matter what happens Little Knot will always welcome you. The rules are simple: follow the reference of my tat and repeat these simple lines onto the poor sap next to ya. The order doesn't matter as long as the last folks to come through go at the end.” 

With that, screams and hollers of thunderous applause filled the air. Since Higgs and Gene were the last to enter for the day, they would be the final two. Higgs was stoic because deep down he was terrified. The sizzling and the smell of burnt flesh that traveled up his nose didn’t help with the loud yells as people screamed profanities while being praised for taking the pain by their fellow friend. That didn’t seem to deter Gene, she grew more determined with each passing of the hot blade.

It took Higgs every fiber in his being not to punch the lights out of the guy that ended up branding Gene on her upper left arm. He jumped upon hearing her grit her teeth, trying to suppress a scream that made its way through with some creative profanities Higgs never thought he’d hear in his life. Her laughter during it made Higgs lighten up as the sizzling began to subside. The process lasted about ten to twenty seconds, but Higgs knew being on the end of it probably felt like an eternity. 

After the applause died down for Gene, she was handed the blade and the gentleman hosting the ceremony asked if Higgs wanted to partake. Gene was about to interject on his behalf, understanding Higgs was probably far from wanting to consent to something like this due to the abuse he endured. Higgs and her were both surprised as he nodded and Gene looked at him like he was crazy. 

“Are you sure?” Gene asked as Higgs pulled up his sleeve and his cloak, wanting to get the brand on his upper arm, right above the Anubis tattoo he had on his arm. He nodded at Gene, smiling at her sincerely as he kept his eyes directly on her own. 

“As long as it's you doing it, I’ll be okay.” Higgs said quietly as Gene searched his eyes. He could tell she was worried he was being pressured into this, but he reached out and held her free hand that wasn’t carrying the branding knife, giving a gentle squeeze as his lips grew wider from his smile, looking at how pretty her eyes were under the afternoon lighting. 

Higgs snapped out of the spell he was under when the sizzling pierced his ears.

“Oh fuck me!” He screamed as Gene made the marks, trying to make the process fast while keeping true to the original reference. Like the others, Higgs was greeted with a thunderous roar of laughter and applause as he let out every curse in the book, hitting the ground with the hand that wasn’t holding onto Genes. 

“Shit! Whoa shit!” He exclaimed after it was over with. He could smell his own burnt skin and cringed as Gene handed the blade back to the original owner. 

For enduring it all, everyone in the group was offered free alcohol and whatever they wanted to smoke or vape. Needless to say, Higgs and Gene both ended up with more than enough to keep them wasted for days if they wanted to go the extra mile. They went back to their camp section, waving away at the scarring flesh and finished the meals off they left out to be cold. 

“You look so different it's weird.” Gene said with a chuckle as Higgs bent down a small puddle of water and splashed water on his face. 

“At least I no longer look like a neanderthal to you.” Higgs laughed. 

“That’s true!” Gene chirped. 

He had groomed himself and trimmed his hair, going with a different style but kept his short facial hair the same. Higgs thought this would be the only time to get this done as they wouldn’t have time to make pit stops for such things after leaving Little Knot. 

Higgs could see his reflection in the water, hands smoothing out the short hair on his sides while he kept long tufts at the top. It was almost like he had a mohawk and for a moment Higgs regretted it. He never liked his face. It seemed nothing appearance wise ever worked to compliment him. His right hand lowered to his cheek as he furrowed his brows, feeling self consciousness begin to consume him. Higgs swallowed as he could feel it, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. Before he allowed them to fall, he rubbed at his eyes. He very much was hearing his daddy’s words about his appearance come back to haunt him. 

“You look like a bad ass viking guy now.” Gene said honestly, holding up her bottle of whiskey to praise him for trying something new. 

Whatever negative thought Higgs had about his new look went out the window as he smiled and returned over to where Gene was sitting. 

“Scoot over.” 

“Make me.” Gene challenged him as Higgs took his foot and pushed her away with it. He was surprised Gene allowed him to get away with it, the last time he tried a stunt like it they ended up grappling with each other. Higgs took a seat next to her as Gene handed him a bottle of beer which he chugged without much thought. 

“And here I thought I looked like a rooster.” Higgs commented as Gene nearly spat her drink out. They both laughed, feeling tipsy and their bodies endorphins kicking in. The branding not hurting so much now that they had plenty to smoke and drink. 

“You have any regrets?” Higgs asked as he gestured to Gene’s brand. She looked down, seeing the horizon line, the circle representing the sun over it and the four lines that represented its rays. She shrugged, seemingly drawing a blank. 

“I mean I’m not crying about it, but fuck they could have given a better warning.” 

“I’ll drink to that.” Higgs said with a laugh, clanking his bottle against hers as they smiled and took another big swig of their drinks. They quietly enjoyed each other's company in silence. Mostly due to the fact they didn’t want to do anything stupid since they were buzzed. Higgs and Gene watched the flames dance, cackling every so often. There was still a lot of activity not that far from them, people laughing or talking a storm off each other about random things. Higgs never thought he’d see such a sight, how there was so much life in the world and in one spot. He had all but given up on it long ago. 

“I uh got something for you.” Higgs said, clearing his throat as he dug into pockets while Gene finished the rest of her beer off, wiping away the suds from the corners of her mouth. 

“You didn’t have to go getting sentimental on me.” Gene quietly laughed as Higgs smiled, handing the kanzashi flower to her. Gene squinted her eyes at it, flipping the flower over from time to time as she observed it. 

“Wow, I had no idea people could make things like this out of scraps.” Gene said after she whistled in surprise. Higgs admired how she was like a crow, taking a liking to something shiny. If she were an animal, Higgs imagined her being one of those devious corvines. 

“You like it?” He asked curiously as Gene nodded with a wide smile. Higgs took this moment to grab it from her, Gene thinking he was taking it away for good as she let out a whimper until Higgs snapped the clip then pinned it to her short wild hair, making sure to tuck a few strands behind her ear so that it wasn’t hiding the fabric flower and its colors. 

Gene stared at Higgs with gratitude, and he wasn’t sure if it was the flames of the fire making her cheeks warm or something else but he liked seeing how happy Gene was. 

“You really didn’t have to do that.” Gene repeated as Higgs shrugged. 

“Consider it a memento to remember me by.” Higgs said simply. 

“Oh, right.” Gene’s tone shifted, going from peppy to sad in a matter of seconds. Higgs got worried, wondering if she too was aware they would be splitting soon. Was she really going to miss him? He wondered over and over, feeling anxiety dwelling in his gut as he tried thinking through the cloud of alcohol what to do. 

“I don’t think you ever told me how your mama and daddy died.” Higgs said, changing the conversation. 

Gene huffed. “That’s a bit of a mood killer considering we were drinking and being merry not long ago.”

“Not like we hadn’t gone deep before.” 

“That’s fair.” Gene said and sighed. “Well, the truth is they were murdered.” 

Higgs wasn’t expecting that having assumed they died accidentally from how Gene talked about them in passing. “I’m sorry to hear that.” 

Gene nodded, giving Higgs a small pat to his shoulder before continuing. “I just got my job at Brisk HARPY. There were no deliveries yet, but I had to move to the facility’s home base. The three of us got into a fight before I left. They thought I had a better shot moving up in rank in the UCA if I stuck it out doing their kind of work, tending to plants and using BT essence to modify them. I didn’t want to be cooped up in a lab all day doing that. I was never an office person. I told them I had been an adult for a number of years now and I was tired of them trying to hold me back and I upped and left. A week later, it happened.” 

“What did?” Higgs asked sympathetically. 

“The nuke that went off in Middle Knot three years ago. No one saw it coming. I never got to say goodbye. I fully intended on talking to them again once I got settled in Brisk HARPY and cooled down, but too little too late for that.” 

“Do you know who did it, launched the bomb?” Higgs asked, his voice cold as Gene shrugged. 

“I heard it was someone from Fragile Express, but then later the authorities confirmed it was a terrorist group. Word on who done it took a long time to reach me given the Chiral Network wasn’t fully established.” 

A tight weight pressed itself in the bottom of Higgs’s heart as he could feel his blood run cold and his nerves spiked. Through the haze of alcohol, and through memories of his time leading Homo Demens, he came to a stunning yet brutal realization: he was the one that killed Gene’s parents. He was the one that ruined any chance she had of making amends. He was the bringer of death, and he had hurt the person whom he has grown to care about in the worst way imaginable. The horrid part was Gene was completely unaware she had been sitting and traveling next to the man who took her family away from her. They were just numbers on a sheet after all for the grand vision he had in mind, their lives were of no consequence along with the thousands that lived in Middle Knot. 

Higgs didn’t say a single sound as he processed the gravity of his previous actions. There were no words that could begin to explain the heaviness and numbness he felt all over. The guilt eating at him like acid to metal. Even though Fragile had been framed for it, it was Higgs’s bomb and his plan in the end. There was no scapegoat to cling onto. 

“Gene--”

“Higgs--” 

They had both cut each other off, and Higgs, despite wanting to confess right then and there and own up to his shit didn’t want to interrupt Gene. He gave her a nod to continue as she looked at him, her eyes conveying an affection that briefly chiseled away at the weight on his mind. 

“I miss my family very much. I have a lot of regrets about how I have treated them in the past due to our differences, but I don’t regret my time being a porter. I don’t regret that I’m delivering probably delivering the most dangerous plague known to mankind in ages, and it's because you’ve been there for me. I never had a connection to anyone save for my mom and dad, and once that severed, I didn’t want to risk forming any bonds that could overtake what love I had for them. It’s been over a year a month, and despite the horseshit, despite the rocky start, I’m honored to call you my friend Higgs. I want you to go North with me.” 

Higgs let out a surprised gasp as he quickly tried to interject. “Gene I can’t I--”

“There’s no UCA to worry about. There’s no one to track you, and not even your ex buds from Homo Demens would chase you all the way up there. You can have a new slate. You wouldn’t have to hide out in a bunker anymore. We could have fun exploring whatever the North has together. I don’t care about what you did in full with Homo Demens. I never pried after you saved me from them, and I don’t care to know now. I know you Higgs, and you’re the only family I got left now, and I don’t want to lose you.” 

Higgs was speechless. His eyes widening with awe as he stared into the intense gaze Gene held for him. As much as he wanted to cling to it, dare say act upon deep rooted feelings he had towards her that he denied himself of, Higgs couldn’t go through with himself if he didn’t tell her the truth. 

His tongue darted out, licking his chapped lips as he shook his head and sighed, rubbing the back of his head as he braced himself for hell. 

“Gene, there’s something I gotta tell you--” 

Before Higgs could continue, Gene held her finger to his mouth and looked up. There was screaming coming from the entry point into Little Knot and the thunderous sounds of bullets pierced the air. From afar, Higgs could see buildings catch fire and Gene’s eyes widened as she realized what was going on. 

“Homo Demens. They’re here.” She whispered, her voice sounding terrified as Higgs darted for the plague box nearby and handed it to her and got up, grabbing her hand as he stared at her seriously. 

“We gotta move, now.” Higgs said, pushing his sorrows to the back of his mind. He knew Gene was going to hate him after the confession, he knew she would want nothing more to do with him, but the only thing that mattered to Higgs in this moment was keeping Gene safe. 


	13. Gene 7.0

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey readers I have yet another warning! There is some non-con sexual content/assault/violence etc. and I understand that can be triggering for some so please read at risk. Thank you for continuing to read, leave reviews and ask questions! I'm having a blast interacting with you all!

**GENE 7.0**

Little Knot was a chaotic hell. Gene lost track of the screams as her and Higgs attempted to make a beeline out of the settlement. There were way more people than she guessed living here. Several sticking out till the bitter end either to fight the intruders or the fires that were consuming their homes. Gene thought she brought a curse upon them, by leading Homo Demens right to the settlement. Guilt already spiked in her gut from the thought. Higgs and her should have never come this way. Gene should have listened to Higgs when they were at the hot spring, keep low and avoid all people due to the severity of the package she carried, but Gene wouldn’t hear it; not wanting to go without food or water for three days, like they had done before. They needed interaction with others in order to survive and bargain. Gene was wishing to hell Higgs would have fought her tooth and nail on the subject, but he never did. 

Gene panted heavily as the grip of Higgs’s hand on hers tightened. She noticed he was doing everything in his power to prevent people from trampling over her, even taking the brunt of bodies flying their way. 

“Over here!” 

A feminine voice from afar called out to Gene and Higgs as they ran, avoiding crowds of people running to either fight or flee. Bullets were not far behind, and Gene counted them both lucky they had yet to be hit. They were so close that Gene could feel them fly past her. Those that were sticking by to fight the terrorist group distracted them long enough to where Higgs rushed with Gene over to a line of vehicles. One by one they were taking off, trying to get far away from Little Knot. 

Gene was going to say something about their predicament, only to have Higgs grab her by the waist and hoist her to the back of the vehicle. She reached her hand down to help him up, but horror crossed her features. Higgs wasn’t taking her hand. There was a determined look she had never seen before on him as his eyes lingered on Gene’s face, like he was dedicating her to memory because it would be the last time they’d see one another. 

“Higgs, you can’t stay here!” Gene exclaimed as the woman in charge of the survivors in the back told the driver up front to give them a bit more time so they could pick up more people before breaking out of dodge. 

“This is my quarrel, not yours.” Higgs said firmly as he glared at her. Gene shook her head, feeling denial race in her pulse. 

“No, we can do this together! I can help!” She protested as he held up a hand. 

“Girl, if you even think about jumping out of this vehicle I’ll never forgive you for it!” He nearly screamed as Gene could feel warm tears threatening to leave her eyes. 

“Higgs I can’t--” 

“Yes, yes, you can. You did great without me before honey, and you’ll be okay after. You’re a porter Gene, and you got something important to deliver. Don’t disappoint me.” 

“We gotta bail guys! Go, go, go!” the female in the back exclaimed as two more men managed to jump in.. Before Gene could further protest Higgs staying behind, the engine came to life and they were out of the area in a blink of an eye. Gene watched as Higgs disappeared into the chaos behind them and saw his shadow run straight forward into combat. 

As the small caravan of survivors made their attempts to flee by putting distance between them and Little Knot, Gene could see the whole settlement was nothing but an orange ball of fire. Horror bound yells and cries littered the atmosphere, and explosions tore the sky open. There were people in the vehicle screaming, crying, yelling at each other as to what to do and where to go, but Gene didn’t hear anything as she now clutched onto the UCA package tightly as if she were cradling a child that lost its parents. She hadn’t realized she had begun to whimper, the thought of Higgs being tortured by Homo Demens or ripped apart by bullets too much to bear in mind; her only friend gone in a single night because of her stubbornness to not go through something trivial on the trip. 

Gene cried so hard at the loss that her eyes began to ache as she closed them tightly in an attempt to escape out of the nightmare. Her body trembled. Gene’s brain couldn’t help but wonder if this was what her parents had experienced when the bomb went off in Middle Knot, the despair and hopelessness right before the pulsing light from the nuke would melt them away and strand their souls on the beach. 

Something came barreling into the side of the vehicle with a powerful screech that knocked Gene out of her despair if momentarily. The vehicle she was in tumbled over on its side, rolling over and over. She was lucky enough to fall out in time before the truck crushed her body like it had done to two poor souls. Even in the night, she could see how their bodies ended up flatter than paper, the metallic smell of blood intertwining with the smoke coming from Little Knot. 

“This way!” the feminine voice from before shouted as dozens of people began to make a run for a rocky terrain up ahead, no doubt in Gene’s mind to climb it so it would put more ground between them and Homo Demens. She could hear the roar of enemies engines trailing behind along with gunshots picking off stragglers from Little Knot as if they were the sick in a herd of antelope. 

Gene looked around as her pulse skyrocketed when she realized she no longer had the package with the BT virus. 

“Fuck!” She exclaimed, but then found it five feet away and bounded for the box and took off with it in hand, trying to follow the group and stay close enough to where the members of Homo Demens trailing behind couldn’t pick her off. A grenade went off twenty feet away, causing Gene to fly and land hard on her side as she scrambled to get back up run. 

Adrenaline now overtaking her sadness, Gene could hear her heart pounding in her chest and throat as she weaved her away around the terrorized people trying to survive just as much as she. It felt like Gene was in a war zone. Gene had been through a lot as a porter, had killed before in defense, but no experience of hers could compare to sheer terror of this night. She could feel her body and mind traveling a million miles an hour, instinct taking over before feelings as she went so far as to shove people out of the way so she could survive. Gene inadvertently got two people killed because of her actions, but she didn’t care nor did she have time to regret it. 

“Come on hurry the hell up! We can do this! Climb!” The woman from before hollered, having made it to the bottom of the rocky cliffs and began leading people to salvation, yelling to motivate them to try their best to climb no matter how weak their broken bodies felt. There was a brief moment between Gene and the older woman as Gene watched her mouth move, but no words could come out. Gene couldn’t hear anything once again as a flash grenade went off, a powerful ring penetrating her ears as she shook her head in a lame attempt to brush it off. 

It was during the ringing that Gene looked back at Little Knot. It was more than gone, it had been decimated but something swelled in her heart, some faint hope that Higgs managed to get out and he was on his way to meet up with her, that they would go back on the route and make it East. Be it because she was scared or her body had a mind of its own, Gene took off running and not to where she would be safe but right back to Little Knot. She didn’t care at this point if she were to die or lose the package, as long as she got to see Higgs a final time, to know if he was alive or dead for certain. Gene never got to say goodbye to her mom and dad when the nuke went off in Middle Knot, and she would be damned if she didn’t get closure when it came to Higgs, her only family left. 

Gene was so blind in her quest to reach him, so terrified to listen to the pleas of the woman on the cliffside begging her to come back and move forward, that when another grenade went off nearby, she didn’t notice her body flying. Everything happened in slow motion as Gene’s world went black and her body collided with the earth, debris picking up everywhere as deep gashes and burns from the impact littered her body. She blacked out too fast to notice that three Homo Demens members stopped their pursuit of the Little Knot travelers, and hauled her nearly lifeless form onto their vehicle, the BT plague in their possession now as they hollered in celebratory fashion while making their way back to Deeter. 

Gene could hear words being spoken but couldn’t make out what they meant. Droplets of water began to irritate her eyes into opening as her body shuddered. Wherever she was at, it felt cold and as she regained consciousness, the ferocity of the burns she received on her ribs and legs made her choke on a scream as she came too. 

“Oh, look who is back from the dead!” Deeter exclaimed, sounding more than enthusiastic about Gene being up. Gene wanted to die right then and there upon hearing him, feeling like she had traded in one hell for another as she scrambled backwards, falling off a broken down cot with a thud as Deeter’s laugh permeated the atmosphere. 

“I’m surprised a little road runner like you survived a grenade attack in one piece! My men have a tendency to be rather ravenous with their explosives. I guess you were too pretty to damage in full.” Deeter chuckled darkly as Gene forced her gaze up at him. She was in a cell, watching as Deeter took off his mask and lowered down to her level. He was lurking at her like a predatory animal, waiting to pounce at the right moment. 

“Where am I?” Gene asked firmly, not wanting the pain she was under or the fear she felt to be seen by Deeter. She didn’t want to give him any ammunition than he already had against her. 

“Oh, you’re at our little home base. This is where good ol’ Higgy used to hang out with us. With how fortified he made it, it was only natural to take it over after we kicked him out of the pod. Oh, what’s this?” 

Deeter’s face lurked more as he zoomed in towards the cell, getting a good look at Gene as he looked for any indication her heart was going out to Higgs. Unfortunately, Gene wasn’t good at hiding her concern as Deeter laughed, getting the reaction he wanted. 

“You’re worried about little Higgy right? Don’t worry your pretty little head. We took good care of him. Oh sure, he put up a hell of a fight and managed to take down half of my men even as we ravaged Little Knot but he was so easily distracted when I brought you up that he didn’t have it in him to fight any longer. Higgs was always all talk and no bite, but I gotta say whatever little charms you pulled on him made the poor bastard exceptionally weak. His screams were so satisfying when we told him what we were going to do to you, I wish you were conscious enough to hear it.” Deeter said in a seductive, fashion as he watched intensely to see if Gene would crumble at his words. He was getting excited just thinking about breaking her mentally. 

“You’re a terrible liar you fucking prick.” Gene spat, trying hard to keep face as she felt her stomach drop. More than likely, Higgs was dead and as much as Gene wanted to mourn right then and there, she couldn’t afford to. 

“Is that the kind of thanks I get for helping you out? You know, while you were cruising through purgatory, I personally patched you up. Not enough to heal you of course as you know, but enough to keep you alive. I think I deserve something in return for the kind gesture, wouldn’t you agree? You always were a pay it forward kind of gal from what we caught between you and Higgs as we tracked you down.” 

Genes eyes widened as she looked at her body, at the wounds she was littered with seeing she had been bandaged and even her clothes were changed. There was a primal fear that crept up her spine as she thought about what Deeter had done while she was blacked out, as he appeared to catch onto what Gene had been thinking. 

“Oh no, no, no, get your beautiful little head out of the gutter!” Deeter exclaimed with a laugh. “As tempting as it was, I didn’t touch you in anyway that would make you feel violated. No, no, we save the best for last in this group when you’re fully awake to experience it.”

“The package, what the hell did you do with the package?” Gene shouted, trying to change the topic to save herself from Deeter’s threatening advances. 

“Oh we made sure to keep it far away from your little thieving hands. Actually, I need to give you high praise little road runner. You have set off the catalyst for something grand. I’m going to give you front row seats watching the UCA and every ounce of its territory melt away from this BT plague. The only poor bastards that will survive are those with DOOMs, and it won’t be long until they become so desperate that they kill themselves. I get the feeling Higgs never told you his goal about bringing the sixth extinction to fruition, and I’m not surprised. He lost sight of his greatness and now I have the honor of carrying the torch. I’m going to finish what he started before he became a weak little maggot.” 

Gene watched as Deeter pried the keylock open to her cell, feeling her gut drop as the grin on his face grew. She wasn’t sure if it was due to still waking up or being out of it, but Gene could have sworn his teeth had been sharp like a sharks. Deeter strode into the cell that made Gene sick to her stomach, seeing a glimmering lust growing behind his dark eyes and features. 

“I’m going to kill two birds with one stone. I’ll take what is left of Higgs, that being you, and destroy it from the inside out and then we’re going to watch the world crumble. You should be grateful, I don’t normally fancy little insignificant porters, but honey, I can see why Higgy would get on his knees just for a taste.” 

Deeter’s movements were so quick that Gene had no time to react as he forcibly pressed his mouth to hers, jabbing his tongue through her lips and into her throat like a ravenous dog finally being fed after waiting so long. She squirmed as Deeter began pressing his body weight upon her, feeling his hot breath trail over her neck and biting harshly. Gene screamed, shouting at him to get off of her but it fell on deaf ears. She managed to turn her head, seeing that there was a metal pole nearby and Gene didn’t hesitate to grab it. She slung it against Deeters head not once but several times as he yelled and fell off to the side. Gene used the distraction to her advantage, forcing her sore body up through the pain of second degree burns to run out of the cell block area and find her way out. 

Gene could hear Deeter yelling curses as she stumbled over random objects, falling over a few times while trying to find somewhere to hide. Gene didn’t have the strength to make a full run out of the building she had no clue how to escape this maze either as she grew more aware of how complex tthe environment was. There was also the risk of bumping into other members of Homo Demens. She had to be smart, she had to work with her limitations, but she was also scared shitless and felt violated already despite Deeter having only done the bare minimum to her. 

“There’s no point in hiding!” Deeter exclaimed, finally arriving in the same room as Gene as she found a hiding spot behind a cabinet, crouching down as she tried to keep her shallow breathing quiet. “You’re only delaying the inevitable my dear little porter! If you come out quietly, I promise I won’t hurt you.” 

Gene could hear Deeter walk through the area like a cat stalking a mouse. He was deliberately keeping his movements slow, in the hopes of catching her off guard, giving Gene a little taste of potential escape before consuming her in full. Still clutching onto the metal rod, Gene braced herself. If there was no way she could escape him god willing she was going to take herself out with the makeshift weapon. She tried to not let her mind accept she was as good as dead, no, she had to fight back. Gene had her share with scumbags but not quite like Deeter, but she refused to come out ‘quietly’ as he tried tempting her out.

“Here little road runner..c’mon out now.” Deeter said in a low sultry voice as Gene moved from her hiding spot upon hearing him closing in. Between the two of them, one needs to make the first strike and Gene wasn’t going to allow Deeter the chance to take it. 

After playing an intense game of hide and seek for god knows how long, Gene managed to get behind Deeter and started slamming his head in with the metal pole. He stumbled, knocking over various things and random junk that littered the area of the bunker before gaining his composure. He went for Gene’s throat, grabbing her tightly as she let out a sharp gasp while he slung her to the wall nearby and tried to choke her out. 

Gene raised one of her arms, elbowing his hand off of her and used the pole to hit him in the gut. Deeter managed to kick the burn on her side, causing Gene to scream as she tumbled and swayed on the side earning another kick from Deeter but to the chest. The force of it was so strong, it knocked the pole from out of her hands. 

Gene groaned, growling as she began to crawl towards what looked like a sharp object. It was a desperate and useless attempt, but her mind was determined to get it. However, Deeter grabbed the scruff of her short hair, yanking Gene up as she screeched from the strands being ripped from her scalp. Her eyes meeting Deeter’s fierce gaze before he punched her in the face and sent her rolling. Gene ended up hitting a desk, hearing glass break not that far. 

“This ends now you little bitch!” Deeter sneered as he quickly traveled over, flipping Gene onto her stomach as he pressed his weight on her, spreading her legs with his own. 

“Get the fuck off of me!” Gene bellowed, using whatever strength she had left to try and shake Deeter off as he attempted to choke her from behind. Gene managed to buck her legs up, hitting Deeter close to the crotch that he slumped over and Gene took the opportunity to grab a hold of the object nearby--a rusted knife. 

Deeter was quick to get back to business, forcing Gene onto her back and got between her legs and once again grabbed her throat and applied pressure. He was so caught up in the moment, so desperate for power over her that he didn’t register the knife going through his right eyeball until the warmth of his own blood trickled down his mouth. 

“What the fuck did you do?!” Deeter exclaimed as he shrieked, feeling the pain consume the whole right side of his face as Gene shoved his body. Deeter landed flat on his back, screaming as Gene in a moment of ferocity and peril climbed on top of Deeter and began stabbing him over and over. 

Gene closed her eyes and screamed, not caring who heard her or who saw the carnage. She was tired, enraged, and her fury held no bounds. Gene was on autopilot as she ravaged his face. She didn’t even feel the warmth of Deeter’s blood stain her face and clothes. 

In a last ditch effort, Deeter’s bloody right palm grabbed Gene’s face in a vice grip as she bellowed loudly into it, tasting his blood on her tongue, making her feel that much more violated from him as the knife went through the back of his throat and out the otherside. Deeters body convulsed as Gene started crying, feeling the weight of what she had gone through hit her as her motions with the weapon became sloppy. 

Her head jolted up upon hearing a door nearby open and Gene was quick to hold the knife up, giving a feral yell at whoever dared try to interrupt. Gene subconsciously knew she was no match in her current state, but she wasn’t going to give the intruder any chance of hurting her like Deeter had done. 

Gene’s mind was so in shock that when the pair of arms from the intruder wrapped around her waist and pulled her up from the ground, she was screaming profanities and whacking away at the air with the knife in hand. 

“Get the fuck off of me! Stop touching me! Stop it!” Gene screeched as she struggled like a fish out of water, hooked and trying to cling onto whatever life she had left. 

“Gene, Gene, it's me! Gene stop it!” Higgs pleaded through her rage as he held onto her and yelled, trying to still Gene’s body without harming her.

Panting heavily and sobbing hard, Gene looked up through the fog of tears and snot at Higgs. Her eyes blinking several times as the dark bloody hand print from Deeter began to trickle down against her face.

“H-Higgs?” She asked hoarsely, wondering if she had been hallucinating as Higgs’s hands reached up, his palms cupping the sides of her face as his thumbs brushed away at the blood and tears. 

“Honey, baby, Gene its me. I got you. I got you.” Higgs’s words were quick and harsh as he pressed his forehead to her own, albeit trying his best to comfort as he pulled Gene to his chest in a tight embrace; nearly squeezing the last of the air from her lungs. 

“I got you. Gene it’s okay, it’s okay.” Higgs said, trying to make his voice soothing for her sake as his shaky fingers threaded through her hair, his body gently rocking hers back and forth before he peered over and glared at Deeter who was barely alive but still clinging on. Rage boiled within him until Gene pulled away and all attention went back onto her. 

“Higgs--you’re crying?” Gene asked shocked, not expecting to see him so tired and vulnerable. His face was bruised but other than that, he merely looked desperate. Like he had been through god knows what.

“Yeah, yeah, I thought you were--” His words hitched in the back of his throat at the nightmarish thoughts he had for two days while he tracked where Homo Demens had taken her, lip trembling as Higgs once more shut his eyes tight and pulled Gene to him. 

Gene was scared to let him go, scared that once her arms would leave his body he’d disappear back into the explosions and flames in Little Knot. 

They stayed that way for several minutes, Higgs shushing and letting her know she was safe as Gene cried hard into his chest to the point she lost her voice. 

“Shh, I got you. You’re safe Gene. I got you. It’s okay I got you.” He murmured pleadingly into her scalp, pressing his lips against her temple on the occasion as he inhaled her scent, trying to remind himself he had made it in time for her. 


	14. Higgs 7.0

**HIGGS 7.0**

Higgs took a long drag from a cigarette, breathing out the pungent air in a deep sigh as he passed it over to Gene. They both had been trading tobacco back and forth while they journeyed to retrieve the BT plague from the last of Homo Demens. Despite Gene having killed Deeter, Higgs found out through the porter grapevine that the remainders intended on carrying out the plan to unleash the BT plague into the UCA. The only good foreseeable thing about this wrench that had been thrown at their travel plans being that Higgs enjoyed the fact that the detour made it so he could spend more time with Gene, not having to leave her right away when she got close to the East.

It had been two long weeks since Gene had been taken by Deeter and co, and Higgs was more than worried about her mental state. Since the two of them left the hideout, Gene hadn’t said much to Higgs about anything that transpired. She went four days without speaking to him out of the weeks, only giving nods and shrugs whenever he asked Gene anything. Higgs couldn’t blame her, but he was growing frustrated. He was scared of how to handle the situation much less knew the right kind of tact to approach Gene on what happened to her where Deeter was concerned. Higgs had an idea based on how he found the two of them, but didn’t want to make assumptions. He also didn’t want to become enraged at the fact he didn’t get to kill Deeter himself for hurting Gene in the first place.

Growing up with an abusive uncle, daddy as Higgs called him, made Higgs uncertain about how he should give comfort to others. Social cues and boundaries were not exactly Higgs’s forte. He thought he had done a good job when it came to Gene, letting his instincts and feelings rise to the surface when he rescued her from the old bunker facility, but after that she wouldn’t go near him. It hurt him more than he let on. 

Maybe it was too much. Maybe he should have thought about how she felt first before hugging her, saying sweet nothings of affection Higgs had never heard a person say to him when a monster had hurt him in the worst ways imaginable. They were words Higgs wished someone would have told him, but maybe it wasn’t right to project onto Gene during that vulnerable time. There were too many problems for Higgs, and not enough solutions. Regardless, Higgs wanted to make Gene feel better, even if that meant he had to neglect his own needs for her sake; his wounds and how bad his body ached from the fighting and one of which was being close to her physically. 

Ever since Gene had been understanding about what happened to him growing up, she was more than willing to help Higgs with his touch starvation. The littlest of gestures brought back some humanity to Higgs he assumed he had lost. Now Higgs wasn’t so sure if it was alright anymore. It didn’t help that the crime he committed against her family, and those thousands of people in Middle Knot three years ago was still fresh in his mind. 

Higgs was compelled to tell Gene the truth. He wanted that more than anything, but now wasn’t the right time. There was no way he could logically see Gene handling that he murdered her folks inadverntaldy and with the same people, the same man, that had attempted to rape her. It made him sick to his stomach. Maybe, and it scared him, maybe there would never be a right time. Maybe he would never go through with it and have the guilt destroy his conscience instead. Higgs didn’t know which path was worse. 

“I need to stop.” Gene piped up, her tone quiet as Higgs nodded. 

“Okay, that’s fine.” He tried to keep his words simple, not wanting to overload Gene in anyway. Due to the burns and such on her body, Higgs took it upon himself to do most of the heavy lifting. He had Gene’s porter pack and gear on him. The gear made him have brief nostalgia for when he owned his business PHARAOH HOUNDS, and took him back to when he was a young and upcoming porter. He kind of missed the life.

Higgs took the cigarette back from Gene when she offered it to him. She puffed on it so much that Higgs decided to finish off the rest and he flicked the butt end of it away. Biodegradable or not, he didn’t give a shit. He checked to see how many they had left in the small box he bartered for, realizing between Gene and him they could put a chimney to shame. Smoking seemed to offer a catharsis for the two, and Higgs wasn’t going to protest that it was bad for their health if they continued. There was something special about passing the cigarettes between them; offering some form of connection to Gene, regardless of how little it seemed to amount to. 

“You hungry?” Higgs asked, looking up at her as Gene shook her head. He furrowed his brows in a concerned fashion and sighed. “Honey, you haven’t eaten for a few days now. There’s no way we’re gonna be able to take the last of the assholes out together if you keep starving yourself.” 

“I’m fine, Higgs.” Gene said firmly, however her eyes told a different tale. Higgs wanted to call Gene out on her bullshit right then and there, but he stopped himself. The last thing she needed was him getting on her case and telling it like it is. He didn’t want to be like his daddy in that regard, remembering how much it hurt him when his daddy dismissed whatever conflict he was going through. 

“Do you want to talk at all?” Higgs offered gently to Gene as she declined, giving a wave with her hand and head that now wasn’t the time. Higgs nodded, his blue eyes observing the blades of grass near his feet as both him and Gene finally settled down for their break. 

“You know, as much as my daddy was a prick he was right about one thing. Hearts live by being wounded. Poetic bullshit, isn’t it? He could have been a writer in his time had he not went off the deep end when my mama died. You know, I repeated that saying to myself every time he beat me. It's one of the reasons I fought so hard to see the outside world. Sometimes I like to think it was his way of giving me the strength to stand up to him, but I’m probably shittin’ myself.” Higgs said solemnly, his words honest as he fiddled with his hands while resting his arms on his knees. Gene looked at him briefly, her face expressionless as he continued. 

“I’m no good at this, but you’ve always been a survivor. As long as I’ve known you, you have grit. Much more than I could ever hope to achieve. I’m not bullshitting to make you feel better, its something I don’t say about folks. You earned it in spades. Y’know sometimes I like to daydream that I could have met you when I was younger. I made so many mistakes Gene, I carry them with me all the time. I’m certain now if I had someone strong as you, I could have left my daddy sooner. Who knows. Maybe I wouldn’t have got involved with the sons of bitches in Homo Demens. What’s done is done, but all I gotta say to you with this rant is I don’t want to see that spark in you die. I don’t want Deeter to plague you like my daddy plagued me. I did a lot of stupid shit to cope with my hurt feelings, and I’d hate to see you end up like me.” 

Gene’s expression remained the same, but she did breathe in deeply and as Higgs searched her tired and morose eyes, he could see she was taking his words to heart even without saying. Gene licked her dry lips and nodded, looking down as he began plucking at random pieces of grass to give her something to concentrate on besides the memory of how terrified she felt with Deeter. 

“You’re not a terrible person, Higgs.” Gene said sincerely as he gave a slight scoff and smiled for a brief time. 

“I think you’re the only person I’ve heard that from in all my time being alive.” Higgs said as a matter of fact, feeling relief Gene had replied back to him. It was more than he had gotten out of her in a long while and he cherished the small victory. 

“What happened at Little Knot?” Gene asked, catching Higgs off guard for a moment. He rubbed the back of his neck, scratching behind his left ear soon after while his mind pondered on her question. There were many things that occurred that night that Higgs lost count. He wasn’t sure where it all ended and where it began, other than how his feelings towards Gene were bursting from the seams. How he was starting to have an epiphany of what he was avoiding the whole time where it concerned her. 

“I joined the fight,” Higgs began as he cleared his throat and took out another cigarette. He began to play with it in his right hand, observing it as his head tilted to the side. It was avian in gesture, like he was seeing it for the first time before he fiddled further. 

“The poor bastards at Little Knot packed a punch. I took advantage of Homo Demens being outnumbered and briefly outgunned before they started cheating with the bombs. I slaughtered them, men I once knew and whom I’d been close with. The bitter truth Gene, was that I enjoyed every second of it. The chaos all around me. The feeling of power, dominating who stands in my way, it went to my head. I was so consumed by the thrill of the fight, I lost sight of what mattered and why I was out there to begin with.” He paused for a moment, looking up at Gene’s eyes with such honesty that there was a glimmer of light beginning to come back through her gaze. 

“When I faced Deeter, I had him backed in a corner. I used cheap tricks that I used on my daddy on the son of a bitch. I had his life in my hands, and I was more than ready to extinguish it. I wanted him to suffer. My damn mind went back to you, how you didn’t kill David even though he had no intention of returning the favor, and I couldn’t go through with it. Deeter took advantage of the weakness, broke me down, and when he started mentioning the god awful things he was going to do to you, I lost control and the cards weren’t stacked in my favor. All because I wanted to be the better man and not take the easy way out like I always done.”

“It’s my fault you nearly got beaten to death by him. I was stupid to ever not end David too.” Gene said as Higgs shook his head, quickly interrupting before Gene could further blame herself or risk feeling like she deserved what happened to her when it came to Deeter. 

“No, no it’s not and damn it you’re not stupid. The fault was mine there.” Higgs stated firmly. “I picked the worst time to have a heart, but I want to thank you. I always fought for myself, always out of self interest. My illusions of grandeur made me a relentless son of a bitch. Even before I joined Homo Demens, I never cared about who I hurt. You get in my way, you get deep sixed. I’ve always been an asshole, be it I was born this way or my daddy passed it down to me, so when I stopped to consider what you would have done it made me remember who I was before my daddy and life in general took it away. I saw the man I could have been the moment Deeter struck me down. I saw how you made me a better person during the time I’ve known you. For better or worse, you left an impression.” 

Higgs got up and put the cigarette back in the box, venturing over to Gene but not before he checked her features to see if she would give consent to him being in close proximity. 

When she adjusted from her sitting position, he took this moment to slowly sit behind Gene. His legs on either side of her body as he scooted himself close, arms gently wrapping around her as he pulled her back to him. Higgs’s eyes closed, rocking them both back and forth in a steady motion as he could feel her hands come up to grasp his. He was scared at first he might’ve pushed his luck, but found Gene wasn’t shoving him away. 

Higgs rested his chin on the top of Gene’s head as he held her protectively, thinking about what else he was going to say. He felt euphoric, the pit of Higgs’s gut filled with a flutter he couldn’t describe, feeling useful to someone and cherished for once. 

“I should have killed him, then none of this shit had to happen to you,” Higgs murmured apologetically. “There’s a lot of choices I should have made so you wouldn’t have gotten hurt. You can’t begin to imagine how sorry I am Gene.” 

His words burned his throat, and even though he didn’t mention destroying Middle Knot with Homo Demens to her, Higgs got a taste of how truly awful it was going to be when Gene was well enough to hear the truth. He felt weird apologizing too, never being one to own up to it before until now. Higgs realized how much he was going to lose when the day would come, but for now, he wanted to savor the moment; savor being someone that gave a fuck about her.

“Don’t let that bastard take you away from me.” Higgs said against her head as he pressed his lips to the scalp of her head, keeping the kiss chaste and platonic. He couldn’t see her face, but as Gene squeezed his hands Higgs realized he got the answer he was hoping for. 

Higgs slowly moved his arms back, giving Gene space as she still sat between his legs with her back to his chest. He took a moment to run his fingers through some strands of her wild short hair before making little braids, tying them off with some thin rope from Gene’s porter pack. Higgs started humming, occasionally words to a song spilled from his mouth as he continued on. 

“You’re really beautiful, you know that?” 

The whole time Higgs spent grooming her, making sure he was careful not to startle nor push her boundaries, Gene cried quietly. Her lips formed into a wide smile as she looked ahead. 

  
  
  



	15. Gene 8.0

**GENE 8.0**

Gene’s resolve and determination to get the BT package back from Homo Demens was unprecedented. She had Higgs to thank for snapping her out of the rut she fell in, losing hope in all the mess she unintentionally brought upon herself by being a porter. Despite Higgs giving his reassurances and taking the blame, Gene at the end of the day knew she could have closure from the negative experience she had with Deeter if she could get back to her job. It was up to Gene in the end to come to her senses. Part of that entailing taking down those who had harmed her and Higgs this whole journey and making it to the finish line in one piece. If blood was the price to pay for it, Gene was more than prepared. 

Gene was feeling a rush of blood attack her body as both Higgs and her were crouched down on a cliff side near some tall plants, looking below them into a small valley. The environment reminded Gene of when she first met Higgs, finding the situation ironic in a way as they both watched like perched falcons at the small pack of MULE’s and the last of the Homo Demens terrorist group below. Gene couldn’t believe her luck when both Higgs and her back tracked a bit, finding a hidden base that belonged to Homo Demens that looked like a porter safe house in the middle of nowhere. Inside Gene had found a map of all the locations Homo Demens had within the area Eastward, and using their judgement on where it was last heard the terrorists were traveling, it lead Gene and Higgs to the base they were currently spying on now. 

Gene fed off of Higgs’s energy he emitted. He was precise, his eyes never faltering as he looked upon the men like they were mere prey. Gene mirrored his features, watching intensely as they could both see the package being exchanged between a Homo Demens member and a MULE. 

“This won’t be easy,” Higgs said as his eyes darted up and looked yonder, fresh black ink under his eyes and off to the sides to help him blend in to the dark that was approaching fast, and also to feed his Egyptian metaphor of death coming for the unsuspecting flock below. Gene had to admit, Higgs looked almost dreamy in the dusk with the make up. Intimidating, but mythical in his own right like the ancient beliefs he held onto regardless of what he’d tell her otherwise. 

Higgs could see a heavily armed terminal area and saw the MULEs running in along with a member of Homo Demens while the others looked on guard. 

“How many did you count the other night?” Gene asked as she took out a pair of goggles, placing them over her eyes as the lens zoomed in. Numerous features and pop ups occurred behind the shades as she shifted through the mess with her left index finger to the knob on the side of the goggles. While she was getting a good look and feel for the environment, Higgs piped up. 

“Twenty MULEs and four Homo Demens. Did you get those bombs ready I showed you how to make?” Higgs asked, turning to look at Gene as she took the goggles off and nodded in his direction. 

“I hope these things are as flashy as you bragged.” Gene jokes, giving a small smirk as Higgs snorted and stifled a laugh. His hand reached out for the goggles as Gene handed them over and allowed Higgs to get a better visual and run some numbers. 

“Trust me darlin’, this whole area is gonna light up like the fourth of July.” Higgs said confidently. “That is if you had put them where I told you to.” 

“Jesus, we went over it three times. Of course I put them all where they needed to go. If they’re that great, they’ll get the job done unless you’re not that confident in your abilities.” Gene hissed albeit in a playful fashion as she whispered harshly towards him. Higgs’s smile spread into mischievous grin momentarily before he sighed and pulled the tech off his eyes, putting them back in Gene’s port pack. 

“It took us eight days to find these assholes, and I want to make sure we get them all in one fell swoop. You want to go over the plan with me again?” Higgs asked, his attention fully on Gene as she nodded and took in a deep breath, body trembling in anticipation for the final fight. For a moment, she was worried about stumbling over it all despite the fact her and Higgs had a full day to prepare. 

“You’re going to go out in the field and lead them towards you, using what juice you have left of your DOOMs abilities. I’m going to go around the back, sticking towards the boulders and rocks hiding the terminal out of the way. Once I’m inside, I’m going to activate the first bomb we planted, make them think they are being taken down from both ends and explode the base. It’ll scare them enough to where you can probably kill a couple. When I’m done with that, I steal one of the motorcycles on the left towards the garage and drive to you during the chaos. We circle around, three times and shoot at whoever is dumb enough to be the area, all the while you trigger the bombs out in the field around us to guarantee no one escapes. I avoid us getting hit by either Homo Demens or our own explosives, we grab the box and we book it.”

Gene watched Higgs nod in approval as his focus went back onto the MULEs looking around the area. It was only a matter of time before they’d find one of the bombs Gene scattered into the field a day earlier, and they needed to make their move; though Higgs couldn’t seem to resist saying something smart at her. 

“If you would've play your cards right back in the day when I was working with these scumbags, you could have been my second in command with how detailed you are.”

“You saying I would have made a good terrorist?” Gene asked, quirking her brow at him as she snorted. 

“Not as good as me, but I’d have some friendly competition. You have always been a bad bitch underneath the cute porter act.”

“Fuck you.”

“Ladies first, I insist.” Higgs countered. Gene laughed shaking her head. As much as Higgs did say that to her that she was a bad bitch, she had a hard time believing it. She didn’t say, but Gene didn’t feel like she was brave as Higgs could be despite holding her own most of the time. He had more experience dealing with awful things than Gene did, but she made up for it in other fashions.

Higgs turned to look at her, giving a faint smirk as he quietly chuckled then took in a deep breath, letting his cheeks puff before he blew the air out. 

“Let's get this show on the road.” Higgs said as he lead the way down, Gene carefully falling behind and trying to keep up with him. They scaled down the various rocks and borders with no issue. Even as Gene was still recovering from the burns left from the grenades, she was at a point where they didn’t bother her as much. Though she wasn’t too happy that the scars were gonna be blotchy once fully healed. 

“Hey,” Higgs said as he gently grabbed Gene’s shoulder. He looked at her eyes in a serious manner as she swallowed. 

“Be careful.” He said firmly, as if holding her to an untold promise. Gene nodded, eyes looking over his face for friendly comfort before they went their separate ways. 

Gene was panting rough, keeping her noise down the best she could as Higgs made his grand stand. It didn’t take too long to sound the alarms, and all the MULEs were going his way, just as planned. Gene was far enough away from Higgs to where she could hear guns going off with yells, but couldn’t see the action as she drew closer to the terminal port. She had to count on and trust that Higgs knew what he was doing with his powers. It was concerning. The few times he had used them during the journey East had one of two things happen: Higgs would either be cursed with nightmares and more of the withdrawals for days on end after, or his powers would fizzle up entirely and he wouldn’t be able to help them if an emergency called for it. It was the odd truth of the matter when it was discovered that those suffering with DOOMs withdrawal were merely breaking their connection once and for all to the other side, slowly over time their abilities to sense BTs, fragments or otherwise, would be gone along with whatever perks they had. Gene had a sneaking suspicion Higgs was praying for that day, but he was also scared to lose a part of himself. She learned his DOOMs had defined him for so long that in confession Higgs told her he wasn’t certain of how he was going to view himself when it was all the way depleted. 

Focusing back on the task at hand, Gene skidded into the terminal and found the spot where she had hidden the bomb. There was a switch she had to flip, and as Gene ventured close to the hiding place she was suddenly attacked. A metal rod, emitting electric pulses came crashing down and hit her on the right hand. She screamed, jutting back and realized it was a Homo Demens member. Her right hand throbbing, Gene made a fist and began throwing punches. She managed to land a few before being side kicked and tumbled down, but forced herself back up before the electric staff could hit her again. The rod clanked with the concrete floor as she spent a considerable amount of time dodging until she found a box to stand upon and then jumped onto the back of the terrorist. Gene used her legs to squeeze around his throat, and through the armor she could hear the man gasping for breath as he wailed the rod around like a child trying to hit a pinata. 

Using all her weight, Gene fell backwards taking the man with her and during the struggle, grabbed the rod and struck him on an exposed part of his uniform just right at the base of the neck. The terrorist shuddered violently, gasping for breath like a fish out of water as Gene made a beeline towards the bomb and activated the switch. The countdown clock on the bomb ticked away as the terrorist rose up, taking his gun out of the holster and aimed it at Gene. She smirked at him, feeling ego take hold for that split second as she murmured “boom, bitch” and made a break for the exit. The terrorist fired off two shots, the bullets flying past Gene’s head, one barely scraping her cheek as the wave of the explosive went off behind her, taking the Homo Demens associate into its flames and nearly sucked Gene into it. She jumped out of the terminal entry, landing harshly on her back as she coughed while smoke and debris began to filter the air and shot up, running towards the garage where the bikes were located. 

Gene wasted no time getting one started, before her job with Brisk HARPY, she fixed porter bikes in the colonies and knew how to handle one without the gears or engine jamming up on her. It was an old model that Homo Demens used, and she was adept to it.

Gene zoomed through the fields, and as she went through to meet up with Higgs, she would occasionally kick a MULE down if they happened to be in the way. There was a thrill like no other traveling down her spine at being the one in charge, the one coming in to take names and dish justice. She thought about Little Knot, the poor folks who lost their lives to these creeps, and pleasured herself in the fact that Higgs and her were paying it forward by terrorizing the terrorists themselves. 

Without Deeter in charge, everything was going according to plan. Higgs, levitating a couple MULEs and a few Homo Demens crew in the air, whisked them to the sides with the BT like sludge he controlled as Gene approached. She spun the bike to the side, the tires squishing the earth below in a powerful skid as she made room for Higgs to jump on back. He had an AR-15 relative in hand he stolen off one of the MULEs he had killed during his distraction and began firing off as Gene drove through the grass. The MULE’s and the Homo Demens didn’t stand a chance running away, much less taking a decent at them as Higgs occasionally reloaded and Gene drove close enough to the planted bombs where Higgs could fire at a safe distance and trigger the explosions. Even those that attempted to hide were outed by the flames, and Gene could feel the heat from the bombs make her skin sweat profusely as Higgs shot up more targets. 

“There! Gene, over there! Get me to the fucker!” Higgs shouted and pointed ahead as he could see the last member of Homo Demens with the BT plague in hand, trying to make use of the chaotic mess of the fire to make a hasty escape. Gene revved up the engine, lowering herself to ride along with the powerful gust of air that came their way as Higgs readied himself to take the shot. The explosions had made so much dust kick up however that Higgs was having a hard time with his aim as he lowered his mouth to her ear, trying to shout over the engine to give directions to Gene. 

“I can’t take the shot! You’re gonna have to get me close to get the cargo!” 

“How do you purpose I do that?” Gene exclaimed to him, looking back to Higgs briefly before her eyes went back on the road, there were still bombs she had place she still had to be careful not to hit on accident after all. 

“I want you to hit one of the bombs we made!” 

“Are you fucking crazy?!” Gene exclaimed, wide eyed as she could see the Homo Demens member was getting away now that he found a small truck nearby to make a getaway in. Higgs laughed, sounding like a kid enjoying himself as a roller coaster as he gave Gene’s shoulder a pat. 

“I can be! Trust me! If you time it right, we won’t get blown up into pieces!” 

“Gee, that’s fucking comforting Higgs!” 

“Would it be better if I told you the truth we’re probably going to die a horrible death?” 

It took Gene two seconds to mutter “no” before Higgs smirked proudly and braced himself on the vehicle. If there was anything Gene learned on this trip with Higgs, nine times out of ten he was right about things. He had a knowledge of world that most wouldn’t suspect for someone as young as he, and she hoped to God or whatever that was listening that he wasn’t shitting himself with this plan; that the insanity for it had to count for something. 

Despite being fearful, as Higgs continued to laugh and holler like he was in a rodeo show firing away in warning towards the truck ahead, Gene found this experience exhilarating. She never thought in a million years being a porter she’d be with an ex terrorist taking down a notorious bunch that scared the entire UCA itself. It was like a fever dream, something that only happened in movies and she smiled at the adventure of it all, it aligning with the kind of excitement she had been wanting in life. 

Gene too began to loosen up as they veered closer and were getting ready to approach a bomb, laughing away with Higgs as they zoomed over rough terrain and jumped over logs and other obstacles to stay on the back of the last Homo Demens member. The group was that much closer to extinction, that much closer to never rearing their ugly head. 

Gene was so caught up in the moment however that she did exactly what Higgs forewarned her about. She didn’t time things correctly, drove right over a bomb she had forgotten she had placed, and the back end of the bike exploded, sending Higgs flying in the air as Gene tumbled over and over with the bike. She miraculously didn’t get trampled over by the bike’s large pieces that slipped off like an apple getting peeled. Groggy, and coughing as the smoke settled around her, Gene looked around for where Higgs had gone. She heard the truck crash not too far from the spot and got up, running as she limped on her right leg. 

“Higgs?!” Gene exclaimed, desperately looking around. This all taking place at night didn’t help things, but she used her nose to follow the trail of gas, and putrid smoke emitting from the wreck. Gene came upon the wreckage and saw Higgs’s boots, pinned underneath the vehicle and she just about screamed.

“Higgs?! Higgs!” Gene darted over to the truck flipped on its side, climbing over the toppled window and saw the body of the Homo Demens member on top of Higgs, the corpse bloodied and broken and had been attached to the boots Gene had mistaken for Higgs in the first place. 

“Higgs?” She hollered, looking to see how far underneath the man he was and if he was dead or not. Gene thought for sure she got him killed and started to panic before an arm slid from underneath the corpse and shot up quick all the while gave Gene a thumbs up.

“I’m okay!” Higgs shouted, his voice muffled by the body covering the upper half of his form. 

The BT plague in hand with some visible damage to the container, Gene and Higgs tiredly walked away from the destruction the two had left in their wake. Their hair was a mess, Higgs’s spiked out in all directions as was the top part of Gene’s hair flayed around like she had gone through the blow drying section of a car wash. They both felt proud of themselves despite it all, and despite the beating they both took from Higgs’s insane plan. Everything was going back to normal, and Gene felt relief knowing in two days she would be at the UCA delivery base, and in two days, she would be able to put this mess behind her and head North. 

“That was so fucking cool.” Gene said tiredly as she giggled up a storm due to adrenaline pumping its way through her. Higgs in turn laughed, coughing on the occasion as he could feel smoke still trying to leave his lungs from it all. 

“We are never doing that again.” Higgs reassured Gene in between laughs. 

“Hey, you said it was a great idea!” She protested, now coughing in unison with him as he shook his head. 

“Next time I ever get an idea like that again, shoot me. Blow my brains out.” 

“That can be arranged.” 

Higgs scoffed as they both made their way laughing out of the area. Gene thought things would be smooth sailing from this point forward, and even Higgs, from the corner of her eye, looked like he had made some sort of peace with that concept too. 

Eventually due to the stress of their heist, both Gene and Higgs took a break near some small sapling trees. They both looked out towards the huge flames that danced across the sky; a sign that they were conquerors. Even as far away as they were now, the fire illuminated their skin in the cover of darkness. 

“I told you, like fireworks on the fourth of July. “Higgs said proudly, his voice soft as Gene’s attention faltered, not paying attention to the explosions, but to Higgs. With how tousled his appearance was, and due to the black around his eyes, he looked beautiful. A beautiful disaster but perfect in every way, and Gene couldn’t take her eyes off of him. 

A flood of emotions swam in Gene’s gut as she stared at Higgs, looking proud of the work they had done together. She could feel her chest constrict, a soft tempo fluttering in her stomach that twisted in painful knots as she caught Higgs’s attention from the corner of his eye. There was a silence between the two as his lips pulled up into a smile before he went neutral. The hasty speed of Gene’s heart grew worse as she let out a small gasp she had no idea she was holding in, which startled Higgs.

Seeing Gene look at him like he was the whole world and everything in between made Higgs feel so much things, some he didn’t think he had the heart to have. Everything was fleeting. There was a force pulling him to her, wanting to bask in how messy and beautiful Gene looked. His vulnerable stare darted from her eyes and her mouth a few times, feeling the boldness of temptation stroke his heart as his true feelings towards her began to arise and this time, he wasn’t going to deny himself of it. Higgs was going to do what he should have done back when he was demonstrating to Gene how to shoot a bow. 

Higgs stepped forward, slowly inclining his face towards Gene’s . He swallowed nervously, only having done this a few times in his life and even then they were brief and very far in between. 

Gene could feel Higgs’s nose brush against her own, nuzzling her as he closed his eyes and pressed his lips to hers. His forehead gently caressed against her own as Gene remained motionless. She felt like she could have a stroke right then and there as her pulse throbbed in her throat, not sure what to do but the small amount of pressure of his mouth to her lips felt good. He felt good. 

Higgs pulled back, his right hand settling against her cheek as his thumb brushed against her skin, going to her bottom lip in yearning. Eyes hooded, Gene could see him look to her for consent and it only took seconds for her to take the dive with Higgs. Their lips moved against each other slowly, deliberately taking their time to feel whatever nervousness they had towards each other. Higgs groaned softly against Gene’s mouth before they both began to feel it, unexpressed feelings and tension finally screaming to be set free as careful pecks became passionate open mouthed kisses. They tasted each other like hungry vagabonds without food, hands exploring one another’s face and body as they desperately tried to close the gap between them in every manner possible before pulling back for air. Their lips sloppily breaking apart as they breathed heavily against one another, sharing the same breath. 

Gene nuzzled her face against Higgs, her hands combing through his hair and caressing the scruff on his face before leaning in again to taste his soft mouth as he trembled. A catalyst between them had been lit, There was no denying it any further. They loved each other without saying it. 

Later that night they found refuge in an unused Bridges safe house. Gene bypassing the system so that no one would be able to tell Higgs was there with her. The two silently showered together. The warm water cascading off their broken bodies as Higgs held Gene from behind, resting his mouth in the crook of her neck as they remained still, his arms around her waist protectively. Higgs merely wanting to enjoy the euphoria washing over him as he got to hold Gene to him in a way he couldn’t wrap his mind around. The intense need to protect, to give to her lingered strongly with numbness. Higgs had been touched starved for so long, he had no idea he was drunk on it now, his brain whacked with so many emotions as he could smell Gene’s natural scent, and not the shampoo she used, through the steam coming off her skin. He nestled his nose in the crook of her ear, gently nibbling from time to time as he inhaled softly, dedicating her to memory. Gene felt like she could fall asleep in his arms right there, right in the middle of the damn shower and she wouldn’t have cared if anyone found them both tangled up in it. 

When they got out to the dimly lit room, both Gene and Higgs spent the entirety drying on their feet. They nuzzled each other for what seemed like an eternity, not wanting the elation either of them felt to leave. Their hands explored one another's bodies, trailing over scars, tattoos and other unique features that could only be found on them and them alone; things that no one else bothered to look at, to appreciate in full the imperfections of themselves.

Higgs abruptly stopped his displays of affection and pulled away, looking Gene in the eyes. What reflected in them was a scared boy, not knowing right from wrong, not understanding if it was okay to allow himself to feel these desires for another person. Higgs searched Gene’s eyes, he was on the verge of tears as her hand reached up, cupping his left cheek while her thumb softly rubbed circles into his flesh. Her free hand, Higgs had shakily pulled to his lips, giving a kiss to the underside as he remained still, looking at her for direction. He was so fearful that Gene felt deeply saddened. She wasn’t going to leave him alone in this battle. 

They started with soft kisses again, their movements all about touch and comfort, letting each other know they were safe to be around like this. At one point, Higgs and Gene embraced, his chin resting on the crook of Gene’s shoulder as he breathed deeply, shutting his eyes and taking a moment to relish in the fact that this was real. She wasn’t hurting him like his daddy had done, and so many others after. She wasn’t just there to get him off and call it a day when he had to settle on his compulsions. It wasn’t a dream being loved by someone for who he was. He didn’t deserve an ounce of it. 

“I’m not going to hurt you.” Gene murmured into his neck as she pressed a soft kiss to his pulse, getting a low moan to escape from his mouth as he held onto her tightly. “Higgs, I’m not going to hurt you.” 

Higgs let out a deep breath through his nose as he pulled back, taking Gene’s hand into his own as he lead them both to the bed, guiding her naked form down with his. They laid there facing one another on their sides. His nerves still getting the better of him while rubbing small circles into Gene’s hip. Gene leaned in to kiss him. As soon as he tasted her mouth on his tongue, a dam broke within as Gene’s movements became more passionate and Higgs in turn wanted to keep up with the momentum. He wanted to be present at all times with her. 

Gene climbed on top of his body as Higgs rested his hands on her hips while they continued to kiss. Needy moans and pleased grunts escaped the two before Higgs pulled Gene back.

“Gene--” Higgs breathed harshly as she too panted heavily, her eyes hooded as she gazed longingly at him with concern. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“I don’t--Gene I don’t know how to--I can’t. I’m not good enough for you. I don’t deserve you like this.”

“Shh.” Gene hushed gently as her head rested against his. His chest rising and falling weakly as Gene’s fingers caressed his face while Higgs stared up at her, eyes apprehensive save for the lust that blown up in his pupils. 

“It’s okay, Higgs. Everything is okay.” Gene said as Higgs closed his eyes, swallowing the last of his insecurities about himself, about Gene, about his mistakes and allowed himself to be happy with her. Higgs grabbed Gene’s face and pulled her into a sensual kiss as their bodies tangled up in one another out of desperation. Their soft moans and unspoken feelings the only sounds that could be heard in the room all night. 


	16. Higgs 8.0

**HIGGS 8.0**

Higgs had a difficult time keeping his hands to himself as Gene and him were back on route with the BT plague in transit. He could tell she didn’t seem to mind it though, and quite often Higgs and Gene found themselves walking one moment down the beaten path, the next making out where they were not in the open. Higgs felt like a love struck teen, using whatever excuse to ditch a class in order to get a moment alone with the person he cared most for. He couldn’t get enough of it, being realized as a person, friend and partner. 

Higgs loved her. He didn’t say it the previous night, letting his actions speak upon his behalf because when it really boiled down, Higgs knew he’d stumble and fall trying to convey the array of weaknesses he felt for Gene. There was still that part of Higgs, the hurt and vengeful half that would always be ever present casting doubts but she had her ways of silencing it. Taking Higgs back to reality and away from a hell his mind had in its own making. 

They were walking through a large valley where rocks seemed to go on for miles like islands in an ocean, smiling like two idiots being caught as perpetrators of a prank as Higgs could have sworn Gene would purposefully lose balance so she could collapse against his side. This went on for a time as he’d briefly glance over to her and smirked, she in turn mirroring him in play. 

Upon nearly falling into his arms for the final time, Higgs lost it. He grabbed Gene by the collar of her porter jacket, smashing his lips against hers like he was swimming and needed air. Gene wrapped her arms over his shoulders and around his neck, playing with the back strands of his hair while returning the favor before Higgs felt bold enough to pull away, his tongue wetly dragging along her jawline then down her throat before giving a soft peck to make up for how rough he was just now. The way Gene moaned and arched her back to him during the contact made Higgs weak in the knees as he coyly smiled down at her, both panting as Gene shook her head in a vain attempt to snap out of the lust that was growing towards him yet again. 

“We should probably stop this. At the rate we’re going, I’ll never make it to the UCA.” Gene said with a tired laugh, Higgs nodding as he took in a deep breath, clearing his throat as they went back to keeping their eyes forward though Gene stole looks every chance she got.

“Kinda hard to darlin’ when you keep looking at me like that.” Higgs countered, returning the stares as he smiled widely at Gene. 

“I thought we decided we were going to be friends first.” Gene reminded him as Higgs recalled some of the pillow talk they had hours ago. For the sake of how serious the delivery was, they both unanimously decided to cool things. To take things easy considering how intense their love making had been. 

“I think we were both idiots back there to rush into that decision.” Higgs once more countered, his tone playful as he attempted to bait Gene into going back on her own words. He nearly won that game at a stop, but Gene worked her charm to get Higgs to back down. 

“It’s for two days Higgs, and then once this bad boy,” Gene gently smacked the top of the package on her porter pack. “Is in UCA custody, we can say goodbye to all the shit here in the states and go up North together.” 

Higgs nodded, although he made a bit of a face which caused Gene to stop for a moment. She swallowed before speaking. 

“You still want to go with me, right?” 

Higgs nodded, his eyes roaming over Gene’s face as he sighed. “Of course I do.”

“You seem conflicted Higgs.” Gene said truthfully, concern in her voice as Higgs’s throat bobbed from his nerves. “What's wrong?” 

He couldn’t let this go on forever. Gene had to know, but in the moment and ever since he spent that wonderful night with her, Higgs fell back onto a bad habit of his: being selfish. Putting his needs ahead of everyone’s to sate what he needed to feel most. Higgs took to Gene like a drug, and he wasn’t about to give up the addiction just after he got a taste of the high. Even at her own expense. 

“I just don’t know if I can go on without touching you at all.” Higgs said truthfully, although his flirtatious words hid the fear of what was to come. He decided then and there that as soon as Gene and him reached the point where originally Higgs was going to end his part of the journey, he was going to tell Gene everything. About himself, about what he had done as the former leader of Homo Demens, and what he had done to her family without even realizing it. He was already hollow inside, even as Gene decided to meet him in the middle and allowed Higgs to hold her hand while they walked. His charmed smile hiding the turmoil and guilt as he squeezed Gene’s hand. 

“I’ll be damned!” Gene exclaimed happily when Higgs and her both made it to the top of a large mountain a few days later, looking down Gene could see the large remnants of a city before her. Some settlements that had started three years ago now outside the city borders as she could see the large tower, erecting a UCA terminal towards the center area. There had to be around twenty thousand people alone from how far the eye could see.

Higgs took a moment to look at Gene. He could see a passionate burst of energy in her eyes upon coming to the end of the finish line. He could only imagine the relief she felt. After a month long trip filled with ups and downs and things in between, this delivery was finally over. Higgs could see it now, Gene up in North and seeing all sorts of things. Wonderful and terrible, and yet she would be happy for it. Happy she got the experiences under her belt so she could look at the end of her life and say without regret she did it, she really lived. The adventurer, the Pioneer she always wanted to be, sought through until the bitter end where all things meet. 

If this were to be Higgs’s final memory of Gene in his life, this was it. Seeing her at her most beautiful when she looked so alive.

“Alright, I’ll make the delivery. I think I can get back to you by the end of today, hell I could push for tonight if I don’t have to go through all the red tape. My boss Stark mentioned on my cuff link I don’t have to do anything crazy paperwork wise. You could probably camp out here for a while, and as soon as I can cash in my credits and get my Pioneer certification, it’s moving on up for us.” 

“For us.” Higgs murmured under his breath, so quietly that Gene didn’t hear him. Even if Higgs were to say it loud enough, he didn’t think with the boldness she felt just now that Gene would be able to register him talking. 

Gene turned to look at Higgs, her smile so big that Higgs figured the strain of it would hurt her if she kept up. “I couldn’t have made it this far without you. Like, really. I never had help before on something like this, and I don’t think I would have lasted a week had you not been here scolding me the entire time. ” 

Higgs smirked, giving a shrug. “No biggie, but I thought I told you to cool it with your chick flick moments.” 

Gene laughed and shook her head. “Yeah, kinda forgot about that one on the trip, but I think some part of you enjoyed it.” 

“Maybe. You’ll never know.” Higgs winked at her, feeling his heart thud against his chest as Gene giggled quietly at his signature remark he often said at her expense. 

“Fuck you, Higgs.” Gene said in a quietly before leaning up to kiss him. She had a way of using her mouth to put Higgs in a spot where he lost track of time and where he was at. As his tongue slid into her mouth while he caressed her cheeks, Higgs didn’t want it to end. The selfishness within Higgs began to stir much like a sleeping dragon lurking over its gold, and as Gene pulled away and he rested his temple to hers, he didn’t want to confess jack shit. 

“I’ll be back before you know it, then we’ll leave together.” Gene said softly, taking a moment to brush her smooth fingertips against his stubble before she began to drift off to make her trek down the other side of the mountain and to the terminal.

Higgs watched her begin to grow small, his blue eyes resting on her form as one side of him commanded silence and relishing in victory he could keep his secrets, while this primal part of himself screamed aloud to be released. He couldn’t do this to her. Anyone but her. 

Before Gene became an ant in his field of vision, Higgs found himself sprinting. He ran like an animal being chased down by a hunter, and as Gene could hear him yelling behind her, she turned to face Higgs as he grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the route and to an area where they could get privacy. 

Gene, taken aback by the sudden actions, looked dumbfounded as she laughed nervously. 

“Are we being followed or in any danger?”

“No, Gene we aren’t.” 

“Look, I know you got your touch starvation problem but it’s only going to be for a day and I’ll be back here and we--”

“Gene, I need you to stop talking.” Higgs said firmly. The sudden coldness in his words taking Gene aback as she felt her pulse drop. Her eyes searched his, seeing Higgs was dead set on something. Concern etched her face the longer the silence pursued. 

“What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?” She asked, even though frustrated, her tone was smooth as it was gentle. Letting Higgs know he could speak to her in confidence. 

The bottomless pit in Higgs’s stomach continued to grow and he took in a deep breath and felt the string of words he had been meaning to say for a long time spill out. 

“It was me Gene. I did it.” Higgs started, regret in his voice as Gene looked more confused than anything. 

“Higgs, what are you talking about?” 

“When I was with Homo Demens, you know I did some bad things but you don’t know the half of--”

“Higgs, we’ve been through this. I don’t care what you did, that’s not you now. It’s not the Higgs I know. What’s in the past is in the past. You’ve told me that many times. I don’t want to hear about what happened.”

“Gene, don’t interrupt me. For fucks sake, of all times but now.” Anger sweltered in his tone as Gene could feel herself growing frustrated with him by the minute. She couldn’t grasp what was going on, but something had Higgs spooked. Gene knew Higgs well enough to know that he wasn’t trying to be an asshole to her, not on purpose. Higgs was always the kind of guy that told things like they were, no sugar coating and Gene had grown used to it over time, but something about the way he was acting now, made the hairs on her neck stand at attention. 

“When I merged my porter business with Fragile Express, I was soon contacted by an Extinction Entity named Amelie. She gave me the keys to her power, and with my DOOMs already at a high level, I became a demi god in my own right. She sent me these visions, these things I needed to do in order to complete the extinction cycle. This entity was counting on me, and the power she bestowed was all consuming that I did what was necessary to sate my lust for it and to help the Extinction Entity move one step closer to the sixth and final Stranding. She came to me because of how little hope I had left in humanity lurking within. I was the perfect vessel to spread her word and to use Homo Demens as a catalyst. I was going to destroy the UCA, its Chiral Network and what it stood for and even defeat the likes of Sam Bridges, the legendary porter you heard of that stood in the Extinction Entities way. To do that, I had to weaken the country by going after cities. Gene, those bombs I had you make for our ambush I--”

“No,” Higgs heard Gene whimper as she shook her head. He almost stopped himself from continuing. Higgs always admired Gene was intelligent, sometimes too smart for her own good and it was obvious her brain was connecting the pieces of the puzzle together despite his rambling. “No, I don’t want to hear the rest of this. I don’t like this Higgs.”

“Gene,” Higgs protested quietly as he looked morose, deep pain in his eyes as he braced himself as if he were getting ready to stab someone. “I made a nuke, and I tricked Fragile into delivering it to a certain city; Middle Knot. That’s why Fragile Express took the fall for that event.” 

Higgs swallowed as his bottom lip trembled. “I murdered all those people Gene. I’m the one that killed your parents.” 

“This is absurd. You couldn’t have.” Gene said as Higgs could already see the stray warm tears slowly trickle down her skin. She sniffled a few times, and he could see a flurry of emotions hit her at once like a deer caught in the headlights of a truck before being torn apart in a sudden slam. 

“Gene, I killed them. It was me. It was all me.” Higgs pleaded. 

“Shut up. No you didn’t.” Gene said, her voice full of denial even as the dams broke and she was turning into a quiet sobbing mess. She had begun pacing, stepping back and forth as her breathing became hitched like a spooked horse. Everything seemed to fall into place, the timing of events and even how the red string of fate tied Higgs and her in a pretty knot. 

“Gene, I don’t know where the hell to begin but I can’t express enough to you how sorry I--

“No! No you didn’t fucking do it cause that’s not you!” Gene exclaimed in a desolate scream as her hands shoved Higgs’s chest. He could tell as her mind was accepting the truth, taking his words in and all their heaviness, that Gene wanted to hurt him; wanted Higgs to feel how she felt in that moment but that part of her that loved him wouldn’t allow such a thing.

“I know you! You’ve done bad shit but Higgs you’d never--you could have never been like them, Homo Demens. You were just a porter that got caught up in their bullshit, you weren’t the leader it was all Deeter and his fucking dogmatic bull--you didn’t--”

“Gene, I fucking killed them! The sooner you get it through your thick head, the better off you’ll be when you finally wise up and let me go!” Higgs spat bitterly towards Gene as she looked at him, eyes widened in shock before anger touched upon her heart and mind. 

“How could you fucking do it?! Why, why Higgs--why? Those people--they never did anything to you, my mom and dad, they weren’t your damn uncle or the people that hurt you! Extinction Entity or not, I don’t give a flying fuck about the cunt or why she wanted it! Why did  _ you _ do it? What did you have to gain for killing them? God damn it Higgs!” Gene screamed, demanding answers as her thoughts ran a million miles all the while the experiences Higgs and she had endured seemed to vanish in a blink of an eye. Like it didn’t matter, that it was all a farce. 

“ I was angry at the world Gene. I wanted it all to perish along with the sorry excuse that is me. I wanted everyone to feel how I feel. I had a death wish, Gene--for a long time, and I was scared to do it myself.” 

“I can’t believe this,” Gene whimpered as her hands covered her face. She was bawling hard into her palms, rubbing at her eyes when she had the chance to catch her breath. “How long were you not going to tell me?” 

Higgs fell silent as he looked at her with pity and felt utter disgust in himself. He felt like he could die right now, it hurts so much to hurt her. 

“If it were up to me, never.” 

His flat tone didn’t help things as Gene’s cries became more dejected. Higgs couldn’t imagine how her body felt inside and out at hearing this person she trusted, this person whom she gradually fell for, took everything she cared about in a single moment and blasted it right back at her face. 

Higgs didn’t have words to describe it other than torture. His mind traveled back to the beach, when Fragile mentioned he should take himself out, that if she were Higgs, she would hate living with herself. Higgs had an epiphany, Fragile didn’t get her revenge on the beach that day no, she got him just now. Right when things seemed to align in the world, she made her strike by planting those seeds in mind. 

As Gene rubbed her eyes, trying to force herself to look at Higgs he saw a ferocity in Gene’s features as she glared at him. Higgs braced himself, knowing this was the part where he was going to lose her and he readied himself for the inevitable death of the relationship they had. 

“Higgs I--” 

Gene was cut off as a spurt of blood gushed from her abdomen causing her to collapse onto the ground. It happened so fast Higgs had to double take for fear he was seeing things. Perhaps his DOOMs withdrawals were bleeding into the real world, but as Gene convulsed, the package carrying the BT plague shattering against the rough and sharp rocks below her body, finally giving out from the rough housing of the journey, Higgs realized Gene had been shot. 

Higgs didn’t remember blacking out upon seeing Gene’s near lifeless body and losing control. He didn’t know how he caught wind of the MULE that had been stalking Gene and him. He couldn’t remember butchering the man with a feral rage. He couldn’t remember how he screamed and bellowed as blood splattered his clothes and hair. Higgs rushed over to Genes side once the MULE was a smashed mess of flesh, the autopilot in his body began to turn off. The reality of the situation hitting Higgs like a thousand daggers as he fell to his knees and lifted Gene into his arms, cradling her against him as his hands traveled everywhere, searching for a pulse, caressing her cheek, anything to keep her conscience. 

“No Gene, no, c’mon darlin’ don’t do this.” Higgs pleaded with her in between quick rasps, feeling adrenaline and pure undiluted fear snapping his spine as he cried out. “No, no, no, Gene. Don’t you give up, god damn it don’t you dare give up. Gene, please baby wake up! Don’t leave. Don’t go. No, not now. Please, anyone but you. Please, please, please. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. Don’t go. Don’t leave.” 

As if on cue, that somehow his words breathed life back into her, Gene let out an agonizing scream before whimpering weakly. Higgs pressed his hand to the wound on her stomach where the MULEs bullet had penetrated and she yelped in pain. The meager screech she let out made Higgs jump as his heart sank. 

“I know, I know it hurts. It's gonna be okay. I got you. We’re gonna get help. I’m gonna get you fixed. You just stay with me.” Higgs managed to lift himself and Gene from the ground, he muttered a thousand apologizes as Gene let out a pained moan from being moved. Her blood was quickly seeping through her porter jacket and shirt. It would be a matter of time before she bled to death, and Higgs panicked.

“I’m gonna take you to someone. They’re gonna fix you. Gene, its okay. Its okay. I got you. Don’t die. Please, don’t die.” Higgs said in hushed whispers as he looked ahead, Gene’s body cradled in his arms like a child as he swallowed and took one look at the city miles ahead. 

Higgs knew what awaited if he chose this path. He knew the full actions of his consequences for entering a major UCA city. He’d have to answer for his crimes to the highest law of the land. Something he had been running from for three years. Higgs back then would have destroyed another round of cities like Middle Knot if his freedom were to ever be taken by the likes of the UCA, but as Gene shuddered, her body growing cold from blood loss, her life for his was worth the trade. Even if he had to rot in a cell, or face the highest punishment, Gene was worth it. 

“Hey, stand back! What’s your business here?” A woman shouted with a gun towards Higgs as he approached the terminal with Gene in his arms, her blood leaving a trail behind him and even soaking into arms and pants. Higgs was tired, his DOOMs eating away at his body from pushing himself too far this time.

“She’s hurt!” Higgs yelled. “Damn it, put the fucking gun down now and do something!” 

Higgs had used every fiber in his being to make a jump, teleporting right outside the city and he made a beeline for the terminal where Gene was supposed to make the delivery, his mind not rationally thinking about taking her to a hospital. 

Higgs’s sporadic actions startled the UCA defense team and Inquisitors patrolling the area for danger. By the time the porters at the terminal called for medical attention, the Inquisitors and force were all there waiting to detain Higgs. As soon as it was mentioned word of mouth that the terrorist Higgs Monaghen was alive and in the city boundaries, carrying a lifeless woman, he was swarmed and outnumbered like sharks to a droplet of blood. 

Higgs glared at every single one of the UCA lap dogs, sneering with an unfathomable hatred. The only thing stopping him from trying to rip through them all was Gene. Despite the threats, Higgs absolutely refused to comply until Gene got help. He wouldn’t even let her go until a stretcher would come through and take her to safety. When the Inquisitors attempted to pull Gene away from him, Higgs snapped and nearly blew the heads off two with a small gun he had on hand, keeping Gene pressed to his chest all the while he aimed at the flock. 

The stalemate between Higgs and the cops didn’t go on for too long as a medical team soon arrived. 

“Higgs Monaghen, put the woman down and come with us. No funny business.” One of the Inquisitors said stepping forward as Higgs’s bottom lip trembled. 

“Let her get treatment, and I’ll go quietly.” 

“You have my word.” 

Higgs felt like a wounded animal backed into a corner as he swallowed his pride, taking a look at Gene before he pressed his lips to her cold temple and then lay her down on the hospital stretcher that had been brought out. Medics had wheeled her off before Higgs had a chance to say goodbye, and as the shouts of the Inquisitors became nothing but a buzz in Higgs ears as he held up his hands and was being put under arrest, Higgs felt something sludgy leaving his eyes. It was black, thick and a putrid stench lingered among the strands of tears that fell from his blue eyes. A rash started to grow on his neck, goosebumps littering his arms like garbage, Higgs felt like he was swelling up from an allergic reaction. 

He looked at where Gene was being taken, fear plaguing his mind as Higgs came to a revelation: Gene had the BT plague. The package having been damaged beyond repair back near the mountain, got through to her. As Higgs was forcibly escorted out of the terminal, he realized he might’ve brought Gene to her death after all. 


	17. Gene 9.0

**GENE 9.0**

The first sounds Gene could hear were the annoying beeps, and as she started to regain consciousness over the last several hours, the muffled voices of people plagued her ears. She wanted go give anything to go back to sleep, enjoying being on her version of the beach. The water so blue, that Gene could see the fish, sharks, and other lifeforms lurking below. Creatures she only had seen in textbooks courtesy of her parents. The waves crashing on the shore like a warm blanket covering one's body countered the blurred conversations she was hearing outside of this. 

Gene felt like she had only been on this beach for a few hours as she woke up, her eyes fluttering open as the lights from overhead hit her pupils. The obnoxious beeping coming from a screen nearby taking her vitals made Gene open her mouth slowly.

“Shut the fuck up,” She tried shouting towards the machine, only to have a hoarse gasp escape her. Suddenly, Gene shot up from the bed and began to heave. Her body convulsed as she hugged herself and shuddered. It felt as if someone splashed her with a bucket of ice cold water, and as she felt her forehead not feeling any indication of fever, her fingertips trickled upon something. Gene pulled her hand back and examined the black substance that was leaking down her nose. She sniffled as the convulsions began to subside and ran her thumb through it. The texture was sludge, almost like mud but it smelled like death itself and had the consistency of thick blood. Gene sneezed into her arm, the tar like substance splattering onto the hospital gown she was in. 

“What the fuck?” She muttered, finally feeling a constriction around her throat being released. 

“Good, it's great to see you’re awake.” The voice startled Gene as she shot her head up, looking at a medic through a glass wall. He smiled at Gene, but in a way that made her uncomfortable as if he were over exaggerating his empathy. She didn’t like it, not one bit. 

“Where the hell are we?” Gene asked as her eyes darted around. There wasn’t much in the room she was placed in save for white walls, a small table and the hospital bed she now jumped from. Her legs wobbled like a newborns, almost toppling over as the medic gestured to her through the other side of the glass.

“I’d take it easy if I were you. Your recovery has been hell to say the least.”

“How long have I been out?” Gene asked, rubbing the back of her head as she began to pace around the room once the feeling in her leg muscles began to return. She was already looking for a way out, not enjoying how compact she was in such a tiny space. She wasn’t kidding when mentioning to Higgs she was claustrophobic. Gene liked being out in the open, there was security in being able to see the horizon, but this place provided anything but. It was too clean for her, too artificial. 

“You’re looking at three weeks come tomorrow.”

“Are you fucking with me?” She asked angrily, the medic swallowing as he held up his hands as a kind gesture and to let Gene know he meant no harm. 

“I know you just woke up, but there’s some questions I need to go over. Are you alright to do so?” 

Gene gave a grunt and nodded her head as she finally gave up pacing around. She didn’t have much choice in the manner as she walked up to the glass wall, facing the medic and his entirety. 

“How would you say your body feels?” The medic asked, pulling up a keyboard on the touch screen wall that separated Gene from him. Gene began to pull up the hospital gown, seeing the spot where she had been shot. For some reason, the situation as to how she got it didn’t come to her right away. 

“Like I got dunked by a boulder.” Gene answered with a hiss as she began to touch and feel over the fresh scar that was on her abdomen. It was bumpy, and as she examined it closer could tell at one point stitches had been in the hunk of flesh. She knew for sure now the medic wasn’t bullshitting her about how long she had been out. Gene had her share of bruises, scars, what have you. It came with the porter life. No one could get past her on how long a wound had been lurking on one’s body. 

“What’s your name?” Gene asked, looking up at the medic as he didn’t make eye contact, merely taking notes and flipping through a wide variety of screens. 

“I’m Dr. Kubler. You can call me Dr. K for short.”

“What is this all about?” Gene asked, gesturing at the room itself and the security she could see outside. There were people with heavily artillery nearby. “Am I being arrested for something?”

“Quite the contrary, its for your protection.” Dr. K replied as the ticking of his fingertips on the keyboard was beginning to irk Gene. She could relate to a goldfish, annoyed and uneasy when somebody was touching the glass to their aquarium. 

“From what?” Gene asked. 

Dr. K looked up and sighed. Whatever sort of warm welcome he had for Gene left as he scrolled through another few pages of notes on the glass wall and finally addressed her in full. 

“This might be a lot for you to take in--”

“Trust me, given everything I’ve been through on this delivery route I’m not surprised by much. Cut to the chase.” Gene said with assertion as Kubler sighed. 

“You’ve been infected with what scientists have been calling ‘the strand’. The BT plague you were carrying for us to study had been compromised. It leaked out of its container and went to the closest near death being it could attach itself to. When you were brought into the city, a minor outbreak occurred. Several people died because of it. Mostly those that were on the verge of death, or were sick but it had quite an impact. We’ve had to keep you quarantined until we would know for certain if it was going to take you next. ” 

Gene’s eyes widened from the revelation, stunned didn’t quite cut how she felt. There was a mixed bag of emotions she currently shuffled through as she thought about what to ask next. The explanation did give Gene an answer, wondering why she was leaking the weird tar like substance. As scared as she was to hear she was sick, Gene tried to remain professional. Surely he’d have to hear her out on things. That’s what the UCA and all its citizens were about, right? 

“I didn’t mean for this to happen--I was just following orders and tried to get it here so you guys could find a cure. I was just doing my job.” 

“Is that what he convinced you to tell us?”

“Who?”

“Higgs Monaghan.” 

Gene felt her chest drop hearing his name and began looking around almost frantically. 

“Where is he?” She questioned in a concerned voice as she once more paced around the room and tried looking over Dr. K. He merely furrowed his brows, the sympathetic look returning as he carefully watched how Gene moved, occasionally making a note of it in a small book he had on him. 

“He’s far away to where he can’t hurt you.” Dr. K said softly as Gene furrowed her brows. 

“Higgs didn’t hurt me.” 

“Beg your pardon?” 

“Higgs never hurt me.” She stated firmly, but then as Gene pondered on where he could be, the events leading up to her getting shot resurfaced. His confession once more shattering her resolve as Higgs’s words played over and over again until she could recall feeling an explosion in her stomach, like a million shards of glass suddenly spiked her flesh followed by a pain comparable to the emotional she experienced from his admittance of murdering her parents, along with thousands. 

“So you are saying that him bringing you here wasn’t against your will? You brought a dangerous plague here on purpose?” Dr. K asked suspiciously as Gene nodded, her eyes glancing down at her bare feet on the cool floor. She could smell the tart of sanitizer permeating the room. 

“No, I came here to deliver a package. UCA top priority. I work for Brisk HARPY back West.” Gene looked up, her features concerned as well as agitated with the accusation. “I’m Gene Chromos Dawkins. You can contact my boss Jerome Stark and he can verify my identification and my porter pass. Listen, I’ve been through hell and back trying to get this thing into the hands of scientists that can fix this before it destroys the UCA like it did the Pacific Northwest, got chased by Homo Demens wanting to cause an outbreak, watched a lot of people die and killed many myself. I don’t appreciate being accused of a crime I had no intention of committing.” 

“I’m sorry,” Dr. Kubler said as his reaction became more neutral, grounded if Gene could pick a proper term for it. “I had to make certain that this wasn’t a ploy by Higgs to murder more innocents. Being both a medical professional and Inquisitor, I have to take these jobs seriously.” 

“I guess that explains your charming sense of humor.” Gene said sarcastically as Dr. K shook his head and sighed. Gene could tell he was a parent. The look he gave to her reminiscent of a father wanting to discipline his child for talking out of turn. 

“I see that he’s rubbed off on you.”

“Unfortunately for you, he kind of did.” Gene said with remorse in her tone.

“So how did you end up with a terrorist?” Dr. K asked, getting back to the point. Gene could tell he wasn’t the type that liked to beat around the bush. If she was going to get any answers of her own, Gene knew she had to play the game. Be civil despite the discomfort her phobia of small spaces. She very much believed in the fact that Dr. K and probably many others at this point assumed she was conspiring with Higgs to destroy the city. 

“I thought he was a Lone Dog. He helped me in a pinch a year ago on a delivery run. He was good muscle, so I hired him for protection. I had no idea of his previous involvement with Homo Demens. Had I known, there’s no way I would have journeyed East with him.” Gene said, sprinkling in some truths along with lies to the doctor. However, she began to feel uncertain as to what was a truth itself and what was a lie. The hurt she felt in regards to Higgs was strong, so much stronger than how weak her body felt from being shot and nearly comatose for a month. 

“He didn’t harm you physically or mentally? He didn’t shoot you and put on an act he cared about your well being?” Dr. Kubler questioned, emphasizing the word hurt as Gene tried to hide a smirk. _Maybe both_ , she thought to herself before shaking her head firmly. 

“I told you, he didn’t hurt me. If you don’t mind me being blunt, it sounds like you have it out for the guy.” Gene assumed as Dr. Kubler smiled sadly towards her and rubbed his eyes after taking off his glasses. There was a vulnerability he showed that Gene wasn’t sure the man had the capability of. 

“Before getting my UCA defense certification as an Inquisitor, I was a full time doctor in Middle Knot. I barely made it out of the city. My three kids were not so fortunate. Much like your family, Higgs took away mine. He took away many families that day.” 

“I’m sorry.” Gene said, feeling some guilt for her antagonistic behavior. Gene briefly wondered how Kubler knew about her parents, but because he was an Inquisitor it made sense he would have permissions to dig into things. She sighed, resting her forehead against the glass as a headache began to stir behind her eyes. 

“Doc, am I going to die?” Gene asked, keeping her head bowed as to not look at any of the bright lights while undergoing the headache turned migraine. Dr. Kubler was silent for a long moment, his pause not giving Gene a good indication he was going to jump up and say she was bright as day and let her go about her merry way. 

“Do you want the good news or the bad news first?” Dr. K asked.

“Does it matter?” Gene countered, looking up towards him. Her appearance disheveled and numb. 

“I guess not. Good news then?” Kubler offered and Gene waved him off giving a shrug as she went back to keeping her head low. 

“A team of scientists in the UCA that had been keeping track of the strand plague in the Pacific Northwest found out the viruses mortality rate is greatly reduced if a person with DOOMs is nearby, it's easy to counter with basic medicine. Had you not been shot, you could have recovered in a matter of days. You being in proximity to Higgs was a blessing in disguise. Whatever it is that makes up the entirety of DOOMs, doesn’t mesh so well with the strand plague, a remnant of BT matter that attached itself to a flu strain. You are medically cured, Gene, but there are some drawbacks. Your life expectancy will more than likely be no more than five years down the road or less. Those that were discovered to have survived this plague to tell the tale died within a year or two. Then again, you are a young person and a porter. You are physically strong so at max you’re looking at ten years.”

Gene swallowed from hearing the news, sighing sadly as she shook her head. It wasn’t what she wanted to hear, hell far from it. Anyone would be scared shitless of being told that death was coming to collect its dues sooner than scheduled, but the fact it was connected to the Death Stranding in the first place unsettled her. She could feel her stomach roll over in knots, not certain if it was because of being shot or anxiety coming to terms that she was going to die young. 

“There anything else I need to be aware of?” Gene asked as Dr. K cleared his throat and sighed. The way he did made the hairs on Gene’s arms stand up. He was nervous about something, and it was clearly indicated more when she looked at him again and saw the discontentment in his features.

“Well, as you could tell from earlier, you still have the strand plague within you. It’s just dormant and can’t affect you any further. You are still at risk of becoming a vector. A decision was made to keep you in confinement for the last of your days so that there’s no chance of it spreading. Even though you have unintentionally helped provide a lot of breakthroughs, the truth is the scientists trying to pull apart the BT plague are still scratching their heads. They need more time. You will be well provided for, and your employer will be given notice of your predicament. You’ll be transported to a protective space under the care of UCA officials as signed by the president himself. A well compensated offer if I say so.” 

Gene shook her head, feeling bile rise in her throat as Dr. Kubler told her that she was basically going to be living as a lab rat for the rest of her time on earth. There was no way in hell. This couldn’t be the cards fate dealt to her. 

“I’m supposed to go North. I slaved for years to get my pass.” The desperation that was beginning to grow in her voice made Dr. Kubler take on a more cold stance. He had to be logical, he had to think about the thousands of people in his hands. Empathetic feelings towards someone who was sick and had been through so much with a terrorist to boot, was a weakness he couldn’t afford to have. 

“That’s not possible anymore. You really need to take a step back and figure out another goal. That part of your life over.” 

“No, no it's not over until I say it is. Look, if I can go North I can be far away from the UCA. I can isolate myself up there. There won’t be any risk to anybody.” Gene tried bargaining. 

“That is a meaningless effort. You and I both know that the Pioneer program is going to be expanding in the oncoming years because the BTs are gone. You and the few that have survived the strand plague will run the risk of destroying everything the UCA worked hard for. We cannot afford the risk. Try to think of it like this: you get to save thousands of people like you intended especially if given the chance to be studied to see in full how this plague works.”

“Horse shit! I will take this to the highest if I have to. You can’t expect me to lie down here and shrivel up until I’m nothing all the while use me as a guinea pig. I won’t allow that to happen! I’m a damn citizen!” 

“You don’t have much choice. The UCA, the president himself needs to think of the good of the people. Humanity is still losing its fight for survival. Anything detrimental at this point will undo progress that cannot be replicated.” 

Gene could feel her blood run cold as she thought back to a debate she had with Higgs at his terminal base after she dropped off more pizza and wine for him. He had went off on a tangent about the UCA, how Gene had her eggs all in one basket when it came to her trust in the government. Conspiracy hogwash she thought the most if it to be, but as she was being told what her life was to become in the present, she could see why Higgs never liked the UCA. 

“The UCA is about the conformity of the whole, not the well being of the individual. The lone wolf dies, the pack survives. That’s how they think they’ll keep moving forward.” Higgs said bitterly as Gene rolled her eyes at his remark. 

“How would you know unless you were part of it?” Gene asked, confronting Higgs on his ideological proposition as he sighed and shook his head. His neutrality turning smug as he chuckled rather dark, like he had knowledge Gene could only dream of seeing. She didn’t appreciate the subtleties in his taunt. 

“Honey, think for a minute. Say something were to happen to you and say in this situation you compromised one of the missions the UCA stands for, do you really think they’re going to bend over backwards to save your hide, or would they rather abandon you to save themselves?” 

“I’d say you’re a lonely bastard out of touch with the world.” Gene said bluntly, earning a laugh from Higgs as he admired the balls she had to stand up to him there, political wise. 

“Between the two of us, I hope I’m the wrong one.”

Higgs’s words cycled in Gene’s mind as she stared at Kubler with contempt as well as sadness. She felt sick to her stomach. The thought of never seeing the sun again and never doing her job made Gene start to tear up. It had no effect on Kubler from what she could see, but she wasn’t crying for a pity party. Gene wanted to travel so her roots could be sown everywhere, and now here she was being forced into ground she couldn’t grow in. 

“There has to be something--anything I can do. Anything I can give you so that I don’t have to live this life. I’m not wired for it.” Gene pleaded as Kubler furrowed his brows and gave a nod. There was a glimmer of hope building in Gene’s chest as the doctor began to speak up. 

“If you can give me anything that can be used against Higgs, you have my word I’ll see if another arrangement can be made. All you have to do is tell me what happened between the two of you, the full story.” 

“Really?”

“Of course. Higgs is already being charged for his crimes against humanity from what the courts have said, but it can be hastened if given enough proof that he intended to use you to wipe out the city.”

_It would be so easy_. Gene thought to herself as something didn’t settle right with her. Despite everything, Gene couldn’t do that to Higgs. As she thought about his confession, Gene began to remind herself of the times he had been there for her, even when he didn’t have to. Then came memories of the night they had been together, and how consumed she had become with Higgs. Maybe it had always been that way since the start of their side gig, but finally acknowledging it in the most beautiful way two humans could, made Gene see the humanity in a man desperate to hide it from the world. 

God, she wanted to hate Higgs. She wanted to give anything to save her own ass in this moment, but be it morality or how much she deeply cared about him, Gene couldn’t bring herself to do that. Higgs loved his freedom more than anything else in the world, and had mentioned it many times to her. As bad as he hurt her, and how used she felt, she wasn’t so cruel as to hurt him below the belt. 

“Just give me what I need, anything so that my family and yours can have swift justice.” Kubler said, his tone begging. Gene could see how much he wanted justice, and as much as her heart went out to him not to mention her own family, she’d given the beating organ to Higgs a long time ago. 

“No.” Gene said firmly, her gaze so intense that she didn’t take her eyes off of Kubler’s. Even as he looked disappointed and ashamed in her, Gene held fast. She made a fist as Kubler got ready to leave after jotting down some more notes in his journal before tucking the small thing away in his pocket. 

“That’s unfortunate, but if you change your mind there’s still time.” Kubler offered and got ready to head out the door. 

“Wait,” Gene said, pressing the palm of her hand to the glass, a sorry attempt at wanting to stop him. Kubler turned around, looking puzzled. 

“What are they going to do with Higgs?” Gene could feel her stomach drop. 

Kubler smiled, looking pleased before he tried to remain neutral. “He’s going to be executed next month on the first. Like I said, if you change your mind, there’s still time to where we can make the arrangement happen quicker. Think about it, please, for all our sake.” 

As soon as Kubler left, the door slamming with a screeching thump, Gene felt enraged as she breathed heavily then marched over to the table and threw it against the glass wall. It didn’t even put a dent in the material as she began to beat and kick at the walls keeping her confined like a bird trapped in a cage. She tired herself out upon hitting the floor out of desperation and fell over, panting heavily as she quietly sobbed to herself. Not only was she going to lose her freedom, but she was going to lose Higgs along with it, and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do.


	18. Higgs 9.0

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey readers, hope you're having a good holiday! It occurred to me because of a comment that some of you are thirsty for smut between Higgs and Gene. Chapter 15 I went for a middle ground/fade to black moment cause it felt right within the limitations of the story, but if I get a few more peeps that chime in I’ll write a whole fucking thing on what they did that night cause why not? It would give me better practice with sex scenes anyhow! Thanks for continuing to read!

**HIGGS 9.0**

There had been a time where Higgs could have dug solitary confinement. He did after all live the life of a hermit for three years up until meeting Gene. Now that it had been weeks since Higgs last seen her, since he was first detained within the UCA territory, he felt like he was going insane. People had been in and out wanting to talk to him, to interrogate, to hurt, but it didn’t break him down unlike not knowing if Gene was alright or not. There was a point Higgs had to assume she was dead, and he needed to move on. Why else wouldn’t anyone give him answers? Then there was the thought that maybe Gene was alive and well, and she didn’t want to see him, didn’t want anything to do with the terrorist that killed her family and thousands. Higgs wouldn't blame her one bit if that were the case, merely thankful that he managed to save her in time and she was going North like she wanted.

Higgs never thought he had the capacity to care so deeply for someone’s goal besides his own. He was also never one that was afraid of death. Having been the vector of an Extinction Entity along with a carrier of DOOMs, Higgs was far past the thanatophobia most humans had. When his execution date was given, Higgs didn’t flinch. He didn’t break down nor panic, just zoned off. He knew the beach awaited him and from there he’d walk to wherever all things meet the true end. When Gene invaded his thoughts however during the restless nights since the courts dictated his fate, Higgs felt dread. He felt anxiety pulsate all throughout him. Higgs wasn’t afraid to die, but now he had someone he wanted to protect. He wouldn’t be able to go through with death until Gene was taken care of, until he got some sort of acknowledgement Gene was going to live on. Higgs always had a death wish, but Gene was free of that burden and he knew life was precious to her. 

“To tell you the truth, I’m terrified of dying.” Gene said to him one night, the two lying down on a hillside on fresh grass as they felt the warmth of the campfire blanket their bodies as they attempted to find stars in the void sky. The smirk Higgs had from a previous joke, disappeared as his eyes darted around, listening carefully. 

“It ain’t all that bad.” Higgs offered with a shrug, causing Gene to lean up, legitimate curiosity in her features along with concern towards him. 

“You had a near death experience before?” Gene asked as Higgs nodded in return, still not looking her way but keeping his gaze up at the blue night sky. 

“Several. If you count the DOOMs and the nightmares that come with it, but yeah I have. The first was when I was a boy. My daddy choked me out and I saw it, the damn beach the scientists on the news wouldn’t shut up about when it came to the afterlife. It was cold, like a hurricane had gone through. Then there was the sun, and Gene, I could have sworn I could touch it. Hold it like a ball and toss it back to space. I felt like I was in my own sandbox, I felt safe. There was no fear. I felt like I came to a home I forgotten about. The only time I was scared shitless was when I could feel myself being pulled back to the living.”

The fondness behind Higgs’s words caused Gene to let out a sad sigh on his behalf, and Higgs, not expecting the reaction looked up at Gene awkwardly. 

“What?” Higgs piped up, confused and a little embarrassed. Maybe he should have kept his mouth shut. 

“I’m not trying to be corny, but don’t go off dying anytime soon. I’d miss you.” Gene said sadly as Higgs’s lips pulled up into a smirk as he laughed at the compassionate plea. 

“Honey, you wouldn’t last a week on this trip if I wasn’t around. I plan on dying after this is done. Sides’ if it did happen, I could try putting in a good word for you, though I could probably book you an express ticket to hell. At least its warm there.” 

Gene glared at him and playfully slugged his shoulder, the two of them chuckling and shaking their heads as they focused back up at the sky. 

“Higgs?” 

“Hm?” 

Gene paused, trying to get her thoughts together. She never had anyone to talk about this stuff with, not even her parents were comfortable with the topic of life and death. They had seen the first wave of the Death Stranding back then, how it consumed and ruined the world, and it was a haunting subject. Gene partially blamed it being the reason she had a hard time coping with staying put in one place for too long. She wanted to see everything possible before death came for her. 

“Do you think that people can share their beaches?”

Higgs thought to himself for a long moment. The straight up answer being yes, and given everything he had experienced it was the case. It could happen. However, he didn’t want to go off on a tangent trying to bother explaining to Gene everything he had learned about death from being Amelie’s personal puppet to kick start the Final Stranding. He turned his head, seeing Gene was already facing him. 

“I think that if people are that attached to one another, they’ll find a way.” 

Gene snorted, laughing so hard it made Higgs start to burst in his own fit. He wasn’t sure why her laugh was this triggering for him, but he was growing to enjoy it. This was the second week into their trip, and he was already finding it refreshing to be himself around Gene. There was an aura she had that made Higgs feel like he could be heard and didn’t have to put on a mask. 

“That was the most cringiest sentimental bullshit I’d ever heard leave your mouth, you should write cards for a living.” Gene finally said as Gene returned the slug from before, hitting her shoulder rough as Gene yelped and rubbed the spot. 

“Fuck you.” Higgs laughed. 

Higgs was pulled out of his memories as he could hear the main entryway into his cell being opened. No doubt, it was probably going to be more UCA agents and officials asking him over and over what had become of Homo Demens, how Higgs executed his plans so brilliantly back then, if Gene was in league with him or not, questions he just about had enough of. He was in for the shock of his life when a familiar figure stepped into the room, standing on the other side of plated glass that separated Higgs from all contact. The years had been kind to her face, hair was much longer and in a ponytail; her Timefall ravaged body still hidden from the world. 

Higgs slowly stood up, his eyes widened and his body stopped working for the briefest of seconds. He wasn’t sure if he was dreaming or not, but either way, Higgs wasn’t appeased in the slightest. She was the last thing Higgs wanted to deal with. 

“Fragile.” He mouthed as she neutrally approached him, stopping only when the border between them had gotten in the way. Arms crossed, Fragile silently studied Higgs like one would examine the clockwork of a pocket watch. There was some pity in her gaze as Higgs reverted to his old self, smirking and giving a taunting chuckle to bait her. 

“Did you come here to gloat?” Higgs asked, gesturing with his arms. “Say I told you so?” 

“I don’t understand why you think I’d be wasting my time doing that. I’m not you Higgs. Your projection of yourself onto others is childish at best.” Fragile said, her voice soft yet firm as she shook her head. 

“Why else would you bother to come here? Back on the beach you said I’d no longer be a part of your life and you’d no longer be a part of mine. ” Higgs countered, his voice already growing with agitation as Fragile scoffed, showing off a smirk of her own. 

“I had to see it for myself. That you were still alive. Don’t be thinking this is some sort of family reunion.” Fragile said as a matter of fact. Higgs could see from how she carried herself that Fragile had grown a lot. She wasn’t this coy businesswoman with hidden strength, instead much like her company logo, she wore it on her sleeve. Higgs could see the damage he had done to Fragile both mentally and physically back at South Knot did little to wear her down. 

“Sorry to disappoint you, but the Extinction Entity wouldn’t let me die.” Higgs said with a sneer, glaring towards her. As much as Higgs had craved some sort of company during his confinement, he wanted Fragile gone. Higgs didn’t want a reminder of his old self nor did he need her cursing his life once again. 

“Amelie must have saw something in you. There was a point that many people saw what you had to offer, even me.” Fragile said honestly as she watched Higgs glance down towards the side. He was visibly angry. Being old business partners, Fragile learned over time when Higgs was growing frustrated. He had this boyish way of handling things, not looking others in the eye being one of them when Higgs felt like he had been caught red handed with something. 

“She was a stupid bitch that couldn’t make up her god damn mind, and look where it got everybody.” Higgs said bitterly, finally glancing up as he forced himself to step closer to the glass. He gazed at Fragile for a long while, his brows tensed in a glare. 

“What do you want from me?” Higgs asked. 

“I wanted to know if what I heard through Chiral Network was true, that you saved someone who had been shot. I was in the neighborhood doing business when you were arrested.” Fragile said, getting to the point as Higgs looked quite taken aback. Of all the things he could imagine her coming to see him for, that was far from mind. 

Higgs didn’t answer, giving a simple nod as Fragile too returned one. “That’s something you would have done before you got involved with Homo Demens. Seems strange.” 

“Me being a human being with complex feelings that surprising?” Higgs asked sarcastically, giving a scoff as Fragile smiled and shook her head. 

“You having the capacity to care for someone other than yourself is shocking. Even when we worked together, you always looked out for number one. I took it as you were a reliable business partner, that had aspirations and didn’t have time to dabble in the un-necessaries. This porter I heard about must’ve done a number on you to get you to give a damn. I’d like to know what that secret is so one day, if I encounter another like you, I know how to handle it.” 

“Did you come here to bullshit or what?” Higgs asked, his tone very much irritable but he had taken it down a notch. There had to be a point to all this, right? There had to be some deeper meaning to it otherwise, why would someone, whom he screwed over--an enemy, come knocking on his door? 

“I came here to apologize to you.” Fragile said, further taking Higgs aback as he shook his head, leaning against the glass wall now. 

“Funny, how you went out of your way to beat the snot out of me and convince me to kill myself and now you suddenly have a change of heart years later.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I’d feel more comfortable if you were dead.” Fragile said and continued. “But I’ve had time to think about what happened to us long ago. There were signs that your DOOMs was getting worse. You were having more nightmares and hallucinations; I didn’t see it as an Extinction Entity trying to pursue you. I turned the other cheek when you needed it most. That is what I am sorry for. Everything else from that point forward, you deserved and then some.” 

Higgs chuckled. “So you’re saying sorry to make yourself feel better, that right?” 

“Maybe a little. You’ll never know.” Fragile said, copying one of Higgs’s signature catchphrases he used all the time before Amelie had come into the picture. 

“Water under the bridge.” Higgs said, mirroring when Gene forgave him for his actions towards her when Homo Demens first attacked on her delivery route. 

They went into a mutual silence of sorts, both trying to negotiate with their minds about why either of them were talking to begin with. Fragile explained herself, but Higgs couldn’t help but feel there was something else to it. With how much she hated him, the way she expressed it on the beach three years prior, Higgs never thought in a million years he’d see Fragile again. Not in this life. 

“I came to offer you one last thing. Since I know you won’t be getting anything special prior to your execution, I thought this was the least I could do to make up for my neglect.” Fragile said, the honesty in her voice making Higgs swallow as he could feel something pining in his gut. Was this too good to be true? He wasn’t sure, but regardless, he had to try to reach out, he had to show someone his vulnerability towards Gene. Higgs knew he needed to swallow his pride and take the plunge or else he was never going to live with himself. 

“Can you deliver something for me?” Higgs asked as Fragile simply nodded. 

“I said anything, so yes. I can do that.” 

“The gal I saved, her name is Gene Dawkins. She’s trying to go North. There anyway you can help her with that?” Higgs asked, his voice teetering on begging as Fragile looked confused. She went over some things in her head, trying to figure out what his angle was before responding. 

“Is she the cargo?” Fragile asked. 

Higgs nodded. 

“I’ll see what I can do.” 

“Please do. She’s worked too hard for it.” Higgs said, the sincerity in his voice teetering between being proud of Gene and also deeply troubled. Fragile took one last look over Higgs and how exhausted he was, staring at him like he was an abstract painting one was trying to find the deeper meaning of in a museum. It didn’t take her long to connect the dots, her eyes widening subtly when she realized why Higgs was going out of his way; to waste his one chance at potentially saving his own skin on another. 

“You love her.” 

There were no words that needed to be spoken as Higgs looked at Fragile with a deep stare, one that conveyed everything he had been through and everything he felt towards Gene. He could feel his heart thudding against his chest as he allowed those feelings to express themselves fully through his face. Higgs was never one to wear his true emotions on his sleeve, but in this moment of weakness and pleading, he wanted to show someone, even Fragile herself how much he cared about this one porter. 


	19. Gene 10.0

**GENE 10.0**

Gene winced upon feeling the needle leave the vein in her left arm. The site burned, not just from the girth of the shot drawing blood, but the fact the doctors coming in were terrible at finding her veins. She felt like a hornet dug underneath her flesh and started biting everywhere trying to get out. It had been like this for a while. Scientists and doctors would come in and out, official UCA Inquisitors among others would question her to no end, and they’d leave for a time then come back to do it all over again. Gene was still in the room she woke up in, now currently pacing around like a horse with a bad case of weaving because their stall was too cramped. 

Gene rubbed her arm over and over while she paced. It was the only way she could get exercise and get more in control of her body’s random bouts of spasms due to the strand plague. Besides for muscle cramping, Gene didn’t feel completely awful. Then again, the virus was dormant and stabilized for now. She wondered when they were going to move her. Shortly after Higgs’s execution date, Kubler mentioned she would be transferred to another colony towards the East Coast for more research. He tried to make a gymnasium sound like paradise, a place where she could wander around and not be confined, but in truth Gene felt like an animal in a zoo. Her anger at the situation couldn’t be stifled no matter how many times doctors and their flock comforted her. Being poked and prodded like a prized pig at a fair didn’t help her feel any better. 

No one would tell her shit when it came to Higgs. Gene didn’t even have a calendar to look at to count down when the big day was going to arrive. Regardless of how many times she repeated herself, Gene got the impression most folks were not believing her when she said Higgs never harmed her. Stockholm syndrome was thrown around here and there as she eavesdropped on some of the Inquisitors. They didn’t even bother looking at the paperwork the doctors provided. In their eyes, Higgs was already as good as dead. Burden of proof didn’t count for anything. 

Gene believed in justice, and over time being isolated, she had an epiphany that Higgs was going to pay for what he did the rest of his life. He was already being punished, living with the knowledge that he did the awful things she heard people say. As bitter as she felt towards him, Gene didn’t want Higgs to die. She didn’t want him to suffer alone in his final days. She still cared about him, and dare her mind say love him. 

_ Fuck. _ Gene said to herself as she ended up sitting on the floor, her head pressed to the glass as she could the annoying beeps of the monitor nearby letting everyone know every hour on the hour when she peed, ate, or did anything. She was kidding herself, she did love Higgs. He was her best friend. Higgs murdered her parents and countless others, but if he were right there, in that godforsaken little room with her, Gene would have grabbed him and never let go. 

Snapping out of her thoughts, Gene could hear the large doors to her quarantine area open. Her brows furrowed, knowing it was too soon for the doctors to come back for more blood. She was surprised to see a young man in his late teens come in. He had a fragile Express Logo on his shoulder and quietly shuffled over to the small drawer in the glass wall that people would use to give Gene paperwork, food, and other essentials without having to interact with her. 

“Gene Dawkins, you got a package.” The teen said, wearily glancing around. No doubt in Gene’s mind, the young up and coming porter probably never set foot in a place like this. It was probably the cleanest space he had ever seen in his life to boot. 

“A package?” Gene asked tiredly, getting to her feet as she went over to where the drawer went into her area and began checking it out. The package was a small thing. No bigger than a box someone would put an engagement ring into. She shook it a few times, hearing something rattle before looking at the boy suspiciously. 

“Who is this from?” Gene asked. 

“A gal from the East Coast. That’s all I got.” 

“I’m the property of the UCA. I thought I couldn’t get anything in the mail.” 

“Well, the doctors let me come on in no questions asked.”

Gene squinted her eyes suspiciously and grunted. The teen stammered a bit, rubbing the back of his neck and sighed. The scrawny kid took off after that with haste. She could tell he really wanted to get out of there, nervous as a cat jumping into water, and Gene wasn’t about to have a tea party with the kid and gossip. Over time, Gene was starting to like people less and less. It was a stark contrast to how she was before being quarantined. She didn’t like how she was changing. Deep down Gene knew that given a year, hell a few months, she wouldn’t last living like this. Suicide was starting to sound like a better option with each passing day she was examined like a lab rat. At least she wouldn’t be limited in terms of where she could go. The North seemed to be a fever dream at this point. 

Despondent now, and feeling lonely despite not wanting the kid around her, Gene missed the company. However, her attention went back to the small package. She turned it over, flipped it a few times before bringing herself to open it. After snapping a button off, there was a small note, no bigger than her pinky along with a rectangular silver cord. It reminded Gene of those old seals people would use to sign their signatures, however there wasn’t anything on it. 

_ Make it count _ . That was the only thing written on the small piece of paper as Gene sat beside herself, confused. Was this some sort of joke? She pondered to herself. The thought of it made her more irritable than she had been before. So much so that she threw the box and the cord against the glass wall in a fit. The small cord upon hitting the glass began to react, making a buzzing sound as it levitated. Gene was quick to look up, her eyes widened in surprise as she slowly walked over and approached the item. She reached a shaking hand to the rectangle shape and clasped it. The buzzing sound stopped and the weight of the piece could be felt in her fingertips. 

Gene fiddled around with the strange object, and then her eyes glanced towards the glass. There was some apprehension as she cautiously pressed the piece to the glass wall, and instantly it began to levitate again and make its humming sounds, but this time it was followed by a weird current transporting itself throughout the entirety of the glass wall. Gene stepped back carefully, watching as how various screens and pictures showed up rapid fire as the humming became more fast then suddenly a loud clicking sound emitted and the object fell down making a high pitched squeak. 

Gene bent down to pick up the rectangular shape, and began to feel the glass wall. It felt more or less the same as before, cold and firm. She lost count of how many times she threw her body against the surface to try to get out but something deep down in the back of her brain told her to try again. Gene backed up, gripping the small object tightly in her hand as she took in a deep breath and then rushed at the glass. At the last second, she turned to the side to body slam the surface. Instead of being pushed back, Gene was shocked as she could feel herself falling forward along with shards of glass. In the high lighting of the room, they looked like pieces of a chandelier. 

Gene toppled over, feeling the glass rip into her skin in places as she gasped. The air density had been exponentially different outside compared to the hospital room she was quarantined under. She slowly began to rise up, getting her bearings before she quickly began to rip the small pieces of glass embedded into her skin out. Before she had a chance to assess the room, two guards had already made their way in no doubt from hearing the commotion. 

“What are you doing out?” One of them demanded of her, and as Gene merely stared in disbelief she could see the two were getting ready to draw their weapons. On instinct, Gene used her legs to trip the first guard to the ground by kicking at their knees. She managed to force herself on top of the guard, taking the gun and making them aim the end at their own chest and pull the trigger. The other attempted to choke out Gene from behind. Gene screamed and bit down hard on the uncovered arm of the guard, thrashing her teeth back and forth as the guard lurched up and yelled trying to pull her off. Gene, not realizing the gun from the first guard was in her hands, swung her arm over her shoulder and pulled the trigger. The loud bang radiated through her eardrums as she could feel warm blood splatter onto her neck. The second guard’s body slumped down and tumbled to the side. Gene didn’t bother at this point to look at the damage she caused. When she looked ahead and saw the doors were open, she hightailed it and began to sprint down the hallways. 

The hospital was like a maze and Gene had many close calls getting caught. Soon enough she had about twenty people chasing her, but she kept running, refusing to give up. Somehow she found a stairwell and began trekking down it, jumping over steps from time to time when her body was strong enough. Upon reaching near the bottom, Gene took refuge in a small locker room. It wasn’t long before she could hear the men and women guards searching the area. Gene waited until she couldn’t hear their footsteps and started walking again. She looked around for a locker that wasn’t locked up and raided whatever clothes she could find, discarding the hospital gown as if it were something contagious. 

Gene emerged from the locker room scared out of her mind, but somehow and probably through sheer dumb luck, she found an exit point and made her way outside. She gasped heavily upon feeling the fresh air of the afternoon sky fill her lungs. The smell of earth was strong as she inhaled and exhaled quick. She hadn’t tasted the oxygen outside for what felt like an eternity, and in that moment there was a peace that washed over her. Gene snapped out of the euphoria though upon hearing a commotion from behind. She took off into the streets, pushing people aside and dodging obstacles and made her way to the edge. 

Gene ended up becoming exhausted and found a hiding spot in an alley. She situated herself to where her body was easily hidden, but if need be she could peer around the corner to see who was coming. It wasn’t the best, but she had to make due with the situation. Gene cursed herself for not stealing one of the guards’s cuff links, now she wouldn’t know the entirety of the layout nor would she be able to hack into anyone’s. Already she had done a lot of stupid stuff, not keeping her mind clear, but at the rate she was going, Gene felt being able to be outside, even if for a short while, was worth it all. 

After collecting herself, Gene peered around and could see a sign. She was so damn close to exiting the city and had a five mile sprint. Even with how weak she felt, Gene believed in her heart of hearts she could make it. True freedom was so close, she could taste it. Gene knew she couldn’t go back to her old life but now she could make her trip to the North without the aid of the UCA. She didn’t need the money, she didn’t need a damn passport or any other bullshit. All she had to do was escape and the world was hers for the taking. 

_ Higgs _ . His name pulsed through her mind and Gene shook her head. It would be so easy to leave. She was too damn close to give a shit, but Gene couldn’t bear the thought of leaving him behind. She took one last glance at where her exit would have been outside the city limits, said goodbye in her own way and started to back track where she had come from. 

“Look, we are taking care of the situation the best we can. Yes, I am well aware. Yes, I know this doesn’t look good but we have no choice. We are currently looking into who was last in the room with Dawkins.” Kubler said, pleading with the yelling voice at the end of the line on his phone. He took off his glasses to rub at his eyes, feeling the stress from Gene’s escape starting to take a toll. 

“Every precaution to make sure there is no outbreak has been put into place. She couldn’t have gotten too far. When we get her, we will immediately transfer over to the UCA research base on the East Coast. If she does escape, there’s no way she can go to any of the cities without being detained.”

Before Kubler could answer anything further, he felt something sharp on the back of his spine. Freezing in place, his eyes widened before Gene came around and aimed the hand gun right at his temple. She looked at him with contempt as she gestured to the phone and whispered harshly. 

“Hang up the phone, now.” Her tone was authoritative and smooth, causing Kubler to swallow harsh before he began to speak into the phone piece. 

“I have a new update, I’ll call you later.” He hung up the phone quickly, and slowly began to back up. Gene in turn followed his movements, never taking her eyes off of him. 

“Gene, look--things don’t have to be this way. I can see if we can make a better deal. You want to be able to go outside right?”

“Where are they keeping Higgs?” 

“Pardon?”

“Higgs, where are they keeping Higgs?” Gene asked coldly this time around, rushing up to press the end of the gun to Kubler's stomach. His brown colored eyes searched the ferocity behind Gene’s gaze as it dawned on him. He had been one of the doctors that had been around Gene the most and also the one that had interrogated, and Kubler couldn’t believe he didn’t realize it until now. 

“You care for a damn terrorist!” He bellowed towards Gene which in turn made her shove Kubler up against the wall. He was breathing heavily as Gene used her free hand to rip the back of his scalp, causing Kubler to yelp. Gene’s glare was more animal like as she pressed the end of the hand gun more deeply against Kubler’s abdomen. He hissed from the pressure as Gene shook her head, no longer giving a damn about negotiating. 

“Tell me where they are keeping Higgs or so help me god I’ll shoot you where you stand!” Gene said bitterly as Kubler swallowed several times. His pulse skyrocketing out of his chest. He had never been so afraid before, and the paranoid of becoming infected himself was subconsciously making him more fearful of the situation. He forced himself to look at Gene, and bitterly he began to spill. 

“He’s two miles from here, in a Bridges terminal that has been converted into a security area. He’s being prepared for execution in the morning. Look, Gene--there is no point in saving him. He murdered our families, yours and mine. Don’t you remember? He shouldn’t see the sun. Gene, if you do what I think you’re going to do, you’ll never be a UCA citizen again. You’ll never go North. You’ll never be able to become a porter again. All of it, gone. The public will take one look at this and you’ll be labeled a terrorist alongside him. Nothing I can tell the UCA and the courts will be able to help you. Don’t be stupid Gene!” 

As Kubler ranted, Gene allowed herself to feel the emotions she had kept bottled up during her confinement. She remembered all the times the doctors and interrogators came in, collecting blood and god knows what else. How their cold hands had practically touched every inch of her body as if she were a piece of tech and not a human being. The doctors cheerful dispositions being a stark contrast to how they manhandled her. Kubler time and time again, trying to convince her to throw Higgs under the bus despite Gene repeating her story, and how he lied through his teeth on getting her more freedoms. The several justices from the courts within the city coming by to negotiate freedom time for her if she remained complacent in the tests and probing as if she was a common criminal and not someone who unfortunately had been at the wrong place at the wrong time. She didn’t choose to get sick, but it didn’t matter. In their eyes, in everybody's Gene was as good as a fresh corpse ready for dissection. Th UCA officials, behaving like a pack of vultures waiting for her to die so they could feast on her carcass and all the secrets it had to offer. 

There is turmoil in Gene’s chest and gut as she swallows, closing her eyes for a moment as she loosens the pressure of the gun on Kubler’s abdomen causing the man to let out a sigh of relief. He thinks he’s won her over as he smiles, reaching up to rest a hand on Gene’s shoulder. 

“Trust me, everything is going to be alright.” The piercing sound of five shots radiated throughout Kubler’s office as he could feel unbearable pain in the lower half of his body. He began to slouch down the wall as Gene looked at him, her features cold and calculating. For a moment though, Gene stared at him out of pity as Kubler began to feel blood and bile rise through his throat, making its way out of his mouth. 

“Why--why did you?!” He tried screaming as he clutched at his wounds, wincing from the radiating shock as Gene pointed the gun now directly to Kublers head, staring him down. 

“I’d rather be labeled a terrorist than be a bastard like you.” Gene shot Kubler point blank, his body falling off to the side as there was nothing left of his skull. Bits of flesh flew off in several directions causing Gene to shudder. She breathed heavily, feeling sorry for what she had done and for Kubler’s tragic past, but knew that with the kind of man he was, there’s no way he’d leave Higgs and her alone. 

Gene’s body shook as she closed her eyes, gathering herself together mentally before searching the corpse of anything of value. She took a couple security passes from Kubler’s jacket pocket and made her way to Higgs. Gene hoped she wasn’t too late to save him. 


	20. Higgs 10.0

**HIGGS 10.0**

Higgs grunted upon being pushed into his new cell block. He hissed under his breath, feeling the cuffs being taken off of him. He rubbed his wrists from how hard the piece dug into his skin. Higgs turned around and watched the Inquisitors that escorted him walk away, tending to some other business no doubt. He took a moment to glance around. It was a white room and had a chair with some straps in the middle. Higgs carefully walked over and took a look at the furniture, and it didn’t take him long to realize this is where he was supposed to die. He took in a deep breath, brushing back his hair some while biting his bottom lip. Had a month already came and went? Given how it felt like an eternity trapped in his previous residence, Higgs was surprised to feel as if time went by too fast. 

Higgs began to pace around, contemplating about his life and how he got from point A to point B. There were tiny moments he went over; how insignificant they seemed but now looking back, it could have made a difference. He wondered if this is what most folks felt like before they die, combing through every memory and every action wondering if it counted for shit. Higgs didn’t like it. He loathed his brain going through the motions. Even though he was no longer the chosen one to bring about the sixth extinction, Higgs prided himself in being one step above most average folks. He had seen things no other man or woman for that matter could handle. He had done things no one else had the stomach for, and look where it got him. 

Higgs didn’t have regrets in life, save for wishing he killed his daddy sooner so he could have seen the world in his youth; but he was hoping he wouldn’t have to regret trusting Fragile out with helping Gene. There was still some part of him that didn’t believe her when she offered to give him one last favor. Given how smart the UCA defense team was, Higgs doubted Fragile’s little key trick would work busting Gene out. He thought the government was stupid, but he didn’t take them for being that pathetic. What really killed him inside was when Fragile returned later that day, letting Higgs know that Gene had been kept under lock and key. It was enough to make his blood boil and he ended up hitting the glass wall several times and busted his knuckles. Higgs felt enraged and territorial. It reminded him of how he felt when catching Gene killing Deeter after his rape attempt. Higgs didn’t want anyone touching Gene, and god willing he’d kill them for treating her like a lab rat. 

Higgs snapped out of his bitter thoughts upon hearing someone barge into the room. He could tell whoever it was was running like a bat out of hell. He quickly went over to the glass wall, trying to peer out and see what the commotion was. The Inquisitors that brought him screamed out ghastly noises and the thundering sound of bullets riddled the air. Higgs’s eyes widened, knowing there was an onslaught going down. The question then became if this person was after him. Higgs knew prior to his execution date, many people of the UCA wanted him dead. There had been threats of folks taking matters into their own hands, and Higgs wasn’t surprised. A lot of people hated him, no more than that; saw him less than human. Higgs still justified his actions to a degree, not feeling as bad because he was under the influence from not only DOOMs but the Extinction Entity herself. The only thing he regretted here was hurting Gene in the process. 

Higgs could hear the footsteps getting closer and he swallowed. His body braced itself as he was more than prepared to die. Truth be told, if Higgs had the option, he would rather let someone have their revenge on him than to be strapped down into a chair and be slowly gassed or face lethal injection. Higgs was always the type of person that would rather go off with a bang than to wither; something he held in common with Gene. 

His fists balled up as he could finally make out who was approaching, and Higgs’s mouth dropped. His blue eyes exploding widely as he saw her, Gene, his Gene running right for the glass. Higgs pressed his whole body to the wall, his hands flat and shouted her name. She couldn’t hear him though as Gene went up to where Higgs was being held and pressed her body to the opposite of his own, her own flat hands covering his as Higgs looked deeply into her eyes. It was her and not just some wishful thought his brain conjured. Gene was right there, the only thing separating them was the godforsaken glass. He felt his heart thud violently against his chest and watched as Gene scrambled to get something from out of her pocket. Higgs furrowed his brows in confusion, but then saw the key Fragile had delivered. He backed up as Gene pressed the object to the glass and it began to hum, levitating as screens, color, and random information flashed upon the surface before it stopped. Gene wasted no time and forced a kick against the wall holding them apart, a giant hole gaping as Higgs was quick to make his way out. 

“Gene.” Higgs spoke softly as Gene gave a small smile then jumped. 

“We need to get going.” She looked back the way she came and could see that there were people running towards them, no doubt more Inquisitors. Gene grabbed Higgs’s right hand and began leading the way out of the area. 

“Do you know how to get out of here?” Higgs yelled at Gene as she turned back briefly to look at him. 

“I’m kind of making it up as I go!”

“Well shit, that’s comforting!” 

“You got any better ideas?” 

“Yeah, don’t get shot!” Higgs could feel his body working in overdrive as Gene led him through the maze like structure of the cell blocks. He was both startled and amazed at how quick she was finding their way out. Eventually, their luck ran out and they came upon a whole team of guards with weapons that could put an AK-47 to shame. Higgs and Genes eyes both widened as Higgs took charge and lead them another way. 

“Go, go, go, go, go!” Higgs shouted as Gene and him both came across an elevator while they were being shot at. They quickly swung their bodies into the elevator, Higgs reaching for the doors to shut them before the guards could fire at them. They made it by a split second as a bullet ricocheted off of one of the doors and bounced off to the side. 

Both Gene and Higgs let out a deep breath, panting heavily as they leaned their heads against the back of the elevator. Higgs, upon catching his breath looked down at Gene. He caught her attention as she looked up at him and before Higgs had the chance to pull her into an embrace, he met Gene’s fist with a powerful punch. For a moment, Higgs saw stars in his eyes as he shook then held onto his nose. He could taste his own blood trailing onto his tongue.

“The hell was that for?!” Higgs exclaimed as Gene glared towards him. The contempt in her features making Higgs take a step back.

“That was for my family and for all the poor assholes in Middle Knot.” Gene said in a stern voice, and Higgs swallowed. He braced himself for another hit knowing he deserved whatever wrath Gene had in store for him. 

“Gene, I’m so sorry. You have no idea how much I’d take it back--”

Higgs was surprised however when Gene tumbled forward, wrapping her arms tightly around his body while her head rested against his chest. Higgs on instinct mirrored the same motions, one hand snaking around her waist while the other tangled up in her strands of hair. He pressed his mouth to her forehead, inhaling her scent as he kissed her temple and murmured against her skin. Higgs could hear Gene crying in hushed rasps against him as he trembled, his mind still trying to come to terms with the fact she was here with him. 

“It’s okay. I got you. I got you now. We’re going to be fine. Gene, look at me.” Higgs gently plead, soon finding himself staring over her pretty eyes. His hands reached up, gently caressing her cheeks as he stared at her. One of Gene’s hands reached to cup one of Higgs’s hands touching her face. 

“Higgs--” Gene said, only to be quietly hushed by Higgs as he shook his head. As happy as he was to be with Gene, to feel him in his arms, there was a part of him that was angry with her. He tried hard to keep himself in check as he spoke. 

“No, no. Why did you come to me? You could have gotten out. You could have escaped all this shit. Why did you come back?” 

“You fucking idiot, why wouldn’t I?” Gene retorted as she sniffled, glaring up at Higgs as she began to speak up before giving him the chance to interject. “You’re my best friend and I love you. Whether you like it or not, you’re all that I have.”

Higgs didn’t care. In that moment he grabbed Gene and pulled her face to his, his lips smashing against hers roughly as she returned the kiss. Higgs could feel Gene’s hands go up to his cheeks, brushing against the small strands of scruff alongside his face. He pulled away briefly to look at her, his thumbs going over her flesh before pressing a soft kiss to her lips. Despite them being trapped in an elevator going god knows where, hearing those words did things to him. Higgs couldn’t recall a time he ever heard someone say they loved him, and he was eating it up inside. He couldn’t believe someone as ugly as him could have someone like Gene saying such a wonderful thing. 

“We’re going to leave here.” Gene said, snapping Higgs out of his thoughts as he nodded, still holding her to him like his life depended on it. “We’re gonna go North, just the two of us.” 

“What about your job, your citizenship, all of that?” Higgs asked, growing concerned for Gene’s dreams as she shook her head and smiled. Tears forming at the corner of her eyes as she gave Higgs a small peck. 

“Who needs that shit when I got you?” 

Higgs snorted, giving a smirk as he grinned. He hadn’t felt his lips curve into one in a long time. “Fair enough.” 

The elevator dinged, the doors opened and Higgs and Gene both got out at the same time and began making their way quickly down the right hall. Higgs reached down, grabbing Gene’s hand gently into his own while leading the way. So far judging from the footsteps, Higgs could tell most of the guards were up on the higher floors of the facility. He also recalled this was the same area the guards took him through while being detained. The exit was close, and he could feel his nerves begin to rise. Higgs was hoping against hope that nothing was going to come their way. Gene and him only had so far to go, he could almost taste freedom. 

Higgs could feel Gene being ripped away from him as a man had come up from behind and grabbed her. Higgs turned around, Gene was screaming for the man to let her go as she struggled against his grip. Higgs wondered how the hell someone was able to sneak up on them like this, but he quickly turned his attention to what was happening. Upset and enraged, Higgs charged and began punching the lights out of the guard. 

“Let go of her!” Higgs shouted as he hit the man’s face in over and over until there was nothing but a bloody pulp left that sulked down and fell to the side. Panting, Gene looked down at the man then back to Higgs as he smiled at her. He seemed proud of what he had done, and Gene couldn’t blame him. He saved her for probably the millionth time now. 

“How am I gonna pay you back?” Gene asked him as Higgs gave a shrug then gestured for her to take his hand again as they ran. 

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get out of here, but I’m already getting some ideas.” 

Gene laughed at the flirtation in his tone as they both pressed their backs to a wall, hearing more troops coming towards their direction. Higgs tried to listen in to give a rough estimate of how far they were but he was having a hard time. For some reason the ringing in his ears from Gene shooting the guards earlier hadn’t fully went away. Higgs was feeling confident in himself and decided that Gene and him needed to continue. He quietly lead her back down the hallway, picking up pace as he felt more secure in the fact that the guards were not too close. Higgs however was dead wrong. Right near the exit, where Gene and him were so close to having freedom, there were fifteen men and women with guns pointed at them. 

Higgs skidded to a stop as did Gene, both looking fearful as Higgs began to beat himself mentally. He lead Gene and him right to their deaths. As he heard the guns being adjusted, getting ready to take aim and fire, Higgs quickly grabbed Gene and pulled her to his chest to shield her, turning around with his back to them as the bullets went flying. A sharp pain, like a million daggers hit Higgs on his chest and lower abdomen as Higgs managed to make a jump and teleported Gene and himself out of the area, back to the last place he could remember them both being at. 

Higgs and Gene tumbled down a cliff, smacking the bottom but Higgs took the brunt of it. He was still holding onto Gene for dear life and he could feel himself gasping. Gene quickly lurched up, pulling herself away from his body only to look at the mess from the aftermath. Higgs was bleeding everywhere. His clothes soaking in crimson by the second. 

“No, no, no! Higgs no!” Gene started to panic, then out of desperation she began to pull his shirt off so she could try her luck at putting pressure on the wounds. Higgs could barely speak as he looked from his bloodied chest and up to Gene. He wanted to tell her something important, but the words wouldn’t come out. Only blood seemed to make its way to the surface, pushing past his tongue. The pain was nothing like he imagined, and Higgs could feel his body wanting to sleep it off for good. He had been through a lot, but nothing like this. 

“I’m dying Higgs. I’m scared. I’m so terrified of living an unfinished life and damn it I’m not going to let you bail out on me! You’re the only one that gives a shit. Don’t you dare walk off the board when I need you most!” Gene pleaded with Higgs, begging him to hold on. She glanced around, Gene tried to get an idea where Higgs jumped too and eventually it clicked. They weren’t too far away from the Bridges base they had spent the night in together. It was risky, it was probably stupid, but Gene had to take that chance. She couldn’t let him die like this. 

“Higgs hang in there, hang in there please.” Gene said in between tears as she ripped up the uniform she had stolen from the locker room and began to tie the pieces tightly around Higgs’s chest and abdomen, trying to keep the pressure to a maximum so he wouldn’t bleed out to death. Higgs grunted, his gasping becoming more normal and less desperate as his eyes shut closed. Gene checked his pulse and could feel it rapidly firing off. He was still trying to hold on. 

“Higgs, please stay awake. Stay with me.” Gene said as she cupped his cheeks with both her hands and wiped away at some of the blood coming out of his mouth. Higgs’s eyes fluttered open a bit as he managed to give a nod. Gene smiled in between sobs, pressing her forehead to his briefly as she looked over him again. The sight of his body so torn up was horrid. 

“Higgs I need you to move, c’mon honey you can do that for me right? C’mon I need you to get on my back. I’m going to carry you.” Gene began to move Higgs, lifting his arm up and swinging it over her shoulder. He let out a scream as Gene apologized up and down while he attempted to move himself closer to her. Eventually Gene was able to shift his weight around and managed to get Higgs to fling himself onto her back. She hissed in pain, feeling the heaviness of his body straining her but Gene took it and eventually rose to her feet and began to walk. Gene made sure that Higgs’s hands were around her neck so she could hold onto them and keep Higgs from slipping off of her. The warmth of his blood was already soaking into her own clothes and she could feel it pepper her skin. 

“You’re not gonna die. You’re gonna go North with me and we’re gonna be okay. You can’t die like this. Not after everything. Higgs stay with me, just listen to me. You stupid idiot why did you have to do that? I’m not worth this.” Gene could feel her adrenaline kicking into overdrive as she felt her heart shattering into pieces. 

The warmth of Higgs’s shallow breath cascaded off her cheeks and she could smell the metallic scent of blood drifting further and further into her nostrils. Gene knew her chances of saving Higgs was slim, and even though she already covered much distance, she knew by the time they’d get to the safe house, it would be too late. She desperately wanted to fall onto her knees and scream right then and there, but she kept trekking forward. It’s what Higgs would have done for her, it's what he already did for her several times. 

“Don’t move.” A masculine voice called out in the dark behind some large boulders. Gene froze in place, her eyes widening as she looked over and could see a man approaching them. He was tall, his hair shaggy and long but kept nice in a ponytail and he looked pissed. Gene quickly retrieved the handgun she had all but forgotten about taking with her from earlier on and quickly aimed it at the man. 

“I don’t have time for this shit! Stay out of my way!” Gene hollered towards the stranger as he began to emerge more into her peripheral. At this point, upon seeing Higgs on Gene’s back bleeding, the man lowered his own weapon and looked at Gene with pity. He gave a small grunt as Gene’s hand shook with the gun while the other was doing everything possible to keep Higgs supported onto her back. 

“You injured?” The man asked as Gene shook her head.

“No, but he is. I need to save him.” 

“What’s he to you?” The man interrogated, his tone was suspicious. 

“Does it fucking matter?” Gene spat. “I need him alive. You have no idea--no idea what we’ve been through.” Gene could feel Higgs stir a bit, his head tilting to the side as he coughed. Gene’s voice was quickly disappearing in his mind. He could feel his body grow more cold and heavy, slipping back to that place where he felt safe once upon a time. 

“Please, he’s dying.” Gene begged, knowing that too much time had already been wasted. She was surprised when the man sighed and came over, taking Higgs off her back and carrying him in his arms. Gene’s eyes widened in shock that the stranger who moments ago was going to pop a cap in them was suddenly helping. 

“I got him. Follow me.” The man said gruffly then began to take off running, Gene tagging behind.

Higgs managed to open his eyes for the briefest of seconds, seeing a familiar face before blacking out. 


	21. Gene 11.0

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello awesome readers! I think we are coming near the end of this story. After this chapter there will be one more. I decided I wanted to end it while it was on a high note and I fear that if I end up making it too long, it's just not going to do the story or characters justice. I had a clear beginning, middle, and end and I don't want to push it. Words cannot express how humbled I am that many of you took time to comment, and to express how much you loved this cluster fuck of a story lol. I'm really thankful to each of you. 
> 
> That being said, I'm still planning on writing some Gene x Higgs drabbles (scenes I wanted to put in the story but couldn't fit), the smut scene some of ya'll thirsty bitches have been waiting on, and I'm thinking of writing another story with these two but in an AU where Higgs meets Gene while he's starting up his porter business before he got caught up with Homo Demens and all the BS. I thought it would be fun to see Gene (and Higgs) when she was younger, and to see the relationship dynamics she had with her parents before they died (also I want to write about these two idiots ending up loving each other but under different circumstances lets be real). 
> 
> Let me know your thoughts, and also I am making a list of requests for one shots, potential stories etc. so if you want to see something or think I could pull off writing your idea, don't hesitate to hit me up! You can find me hiding out on tumblr via savage-rhi if you want to DM or DM here. Enjoy this next part!

**GENE 11.0**

“Fuck!” Gene exclaimed harshly under her breath as one of the arrows she shot missed her target. The damn deer with a missing chunk of its right antler bounded and lept over some rocks, making its getaway from the hunter. Gene was growing frustrated as she equipped another arrow into the makeshift bow. She was on her third one now and had nothing to show for it. Gene began to think Higgs was full of shit earlier on when he said she was a natural at aiming. 

“Maybe robots, but not actual things.” Gene murmured to herself and then came to a harsh truth. Killing people was way easier than killing an animal. Humans seemed to have the capacity to walk right up to death and greet it or assume it would never touch them. She briefly thought back to when she shot Kubler without mercy, then took in a deep breath and began to track the animal once more. 

It had been almost two months since Gene got out of the city along with Higgs. It had also been two months since he woke up. There were times Higgs would stir long enough for Gene to get something in his gut, but he’d soon pass out afterwards. Gene had several nights without sleep, worried Higgs was going to die and she wouldn’t get to say goodbye to him properly. That was the worst of it. It would have been much more horrible had it not been for the help Fragile sent in the form of Sam. Gene didn’t know much about the guy despite him accompanying them both the last two months. He kept to himself, didn’t talk much save for a grunt or two which Gene compared to a caveman. Needless to say, Sam didn’t appreciate the comment when it slipped one night. 

“I gotcha.” Gene whispered to herself, coming across the deer again. This time she kept her body more lowered so that the deer wouldn’t be able to sense her downwind. The animal stupidly enough was eating like nothing happened. Her breathing became more calm and collected as she drew the arrow and then released. The arrow darted through the air, cutting it like a knife before it struck the deer. The creature tumbled over itself, arrow jetting out of his neck as it struggled to breathe. Gene quickly went over and took out a knife and directly stabbed the deer in the head, piercing the skull with a rocky crunch. The body stilled and Gene let out a breath she had been holding in for a long time. 

Gene slouched down against one of the boulders nearby, taking a break due to chasing the deer around then began attempting to take the arrow out. Higgs was right about one thing, making the arrows was a pain in the ass. Gene had to learn the hard way as she glanced down at her left palm, seeing the bandages covering up one of the slices she accidentally endured. 

“Food?” Gene gasped as she heard the small voice not too far from her. Jolting up on her feet, Gene looked around and then saw her, Sam’s little one running on her small legs to come and see what Gene had gotten for dinner. Louise tripped on a rock, bounding forward and ended up hitting her head on the ground. She got back up, her hands covering her scalp as she made a face with tears threatening to leave the corners of her eyes. 

“How long were you there? Seriously, if your daddy found out he’d probably kill my ass.” Gene said, tying up the back legs of the deer with some rope and then began to haul. When she came over to Louise, Gene gave the toddler a bump to the back of the head, signaling for her to her follow. Louise shot a small glare at Gene who then raised an eyebrow at the little one and shook her head.

“Just walk it off, you’ll be fine.” Gene said calmly as they made their way back to camp. She allowed Louise to hold onto the bow and carry it. From what Sam told her, giving Louise small tasks made her feel important, like she belonged. In a way Gene could relate. Her dad way back when would hand Gene tools that he and his wife used to grow plants, help speed up the process and he’d demonstrate how they work. Gene could never remember the names, but recalled feeling happy she was included when her parents worked. 

“Lou!” Sam exclaimed upon seeing Gene and the little one coming from over the hill. Louise dropped the bow and immediately rushed over to Sam with her arms stretched out, intending for a full on hug when she’d reach the bottom and get to him. 

“Daddy! Daddy!” Louise shouted happily, falling into Sam’s arms as he held her then picked the little girl up and looked her over. 

“Relax,” Gene started as she brisk walked with the bow and deer in tow down to them. “She’s okay, but I had no idea she followed me on the hunt.” 

“Keep a closer eye on her.” Sam forewarned as Gene’s brows scrunched into a slight glare. 

“Sam, she’s your kid. I had hunting duty. Unless you want to take a turn chasing down deer, be my guest.”

Per usual when Gene and Sam had their scuffles, he merely grunted signaling that Sam no longer wished to discuss the matter further. Gene learned quick he was a straight forward guy, minus when it came to his daughter. He guided the little one away and over to the small safe house they were currently thriving under. It was once a preppers den but had long since been abandoned after the BTs left the world. 

Gene took it upon herself to hash out the meat and get it prepped for cooking. It was a messy ordeal, but after having her share of killing people she got used to it. Carving out the carcass of deer among other things started to become second nature. She found herself not relying on ration packs anymore that porters were known to binge off of. That was another thing she owed Higgs. During their travels, he not only taught her to hunt but how to butcher. Higgs did most of it at the time because she was squeamish, but Gene thanked her past self for keeping an eye on what he did in case something were to happen and Higgs couldn’t provide. 

“Sure got a big one.” Sam’s voice interrupted Gene’s thoughts as she finished carving off the leg and nodded in his direction. He took it upon himself to bring the meat over the fire and started the prep work for setting the meat ablaze. Gene went over by the fire and relaxed, letting her body bask in the warmth. It was a cold night coming in. They were now high up near the mountains heading North. Luckily there was no snow expected according to Sam, but Gene was skeptical. 

“How is Higgs doing?” Gene asked, her tone concerned as Sam took in a deep breath then placed the meat over the fire once he got it all situated. 

“Better. The wounds are sealed up. He won’t be needing anymore bandage changes. The rest is up to him now.” Sam said as a matter of fact, trying not to get Gene’s hopes too high but at the same time he had learned a bit about the two. Even though Gene didn’t admit it, Sam knew she had a soft spot for the ex terrorist. He couldn't for the life of him understand why, but he wasn’t one to judge. Sam cared for an Extinction Entity after all, saw her as family and look what happened. 

“Does this mean we’re going to be parting ways soon?” Gene asked as Sam looked up and gave a nod. 

“What’s done is done. I kept my end of things. I owed Fragile a favor, so I paid it forward. I got a little one that needs to go back home.” Sam said. 

Gene nodded, understandably. Sam had already done a lot for Higgs and her. He managed to keep them from being spotted by UCA scouts and other porters who caught wind there was a bounty of sorts on both Gene and Higgs heads. Sam also by some miracle got all the bullets out of Higgs and got his internal bleeding to stop thanks to having a 3-D lazer on his person to seal up tissue. Gene had to admit the man was very smart. He knew how to work outside the UCA, didn’t have a cuff link to help with anything, but knew how to survive without being a part of the community at large. Gene had never met Fragile, but intended on returning the favor for sending Sam their way. Higgs and her had been so lucky Sam was already en route to them before Higgs made the jump, otherwise he wouldn’t have survived the ordeal.

“I owe you for this. For everything.” Gene said as Sam shook his head, waving her off. 

“Nah. Between the three of us, Higgs has a debt. You however don’t. You’re just the poor porter that got caught up in this mess.”

“Sounds like you relate to that?” Gene asked as Sam nodded and lay down on the ground, looking up at the sky while he yawned. 

“I don’t think I ever told you, but I used to be a porter. Then I had Lou, and things changed.” Sam said as Gene looked over at him neutrally. She was nonetheless surprised. Sam wasn’t one to talk about his life, and the few times Gene tried to pry, he’d brush her off. Gene gave up, but something about the way he sounded made Gene want to give it another go. 

“Sam?”

“Uh huh?” 

“Did you used to know Higgs--you know, when he was part of Homo Demens?” 

Sam was quiet for a time, and Gene was tempted to tend to the meat and act like nothing happened. She was further caught off guard as Sam rose up and looked in her direction. His features solem, but also content. 

“Yeah. Higgs and I go back. He was a bastard. To tell you the truth, when Fragile went out of her way to find me and told me to help him, I thought she was insane. I thought he died years ago, back on the beach. She was supposed to have taken care of him.” 

Gene couldn’t believe it. She had spent two months with Sam and it took her forever to connect the dots as to who he was. Sam Bridges, the legendary porter of Bridges, saved Higgs’s life and hers. Her pulse rose, feeling a little star struck because she had heard many stories about him. He definitely didn’t fit the image she had in mind, but the fact he knew so much in a few sentences about Higgs and his past spoke volumes. This was the guy. This was the man Higgs fought once before. 

“What happened between the two of you?” Gene asked as Sam once more paused for a time, his eyes glancing around the environment, as if searching his memories. 

“We got into a fight.” He said plainly. 

“I bet it was over something real stupid.” Gene said with a laugh. She was amazed it got a smile out of the stoic loner. 

“Looking back on it, yeah. See Higgs and I, we are a lot alike. We carried a lot of the same ideals, didn’t believe the UCA was worth fighting for, had doubts about humanity. It was our faith and how we saw life that divided us.” Sam said, then glanced up at Gene to get her attention then reached up behind his hair, displaying his mangled ear. “He gave me this, you know?” 

Gene’s eyes widened a little. She had seen before that Sam’s right ear had been bitten clean off, but she never bothered to ask how he got it. Knowing Higgs was behind the injury made her stomach turn over. Gene had grown to know Higgs inside and out, but the ferocity of the old wound he left upon Sam had her speechless. 

“I was angry at him for a long time.” Sam said, as Gene snapped her focus off his ear and back to his gaze. “After you’ve had the same experiences as him and I endured, staying pissed off at each other is a waste of time. That’s not something I want Louise to grow up with.” 

“Is that why you helped us out too, besides owing Fragile a favor?” Gene asked. 

“No, I did it because I see he’s got something important. See, Louise is my world. She’s the only connection I have. I broke ties with the UCA to keep her alive, to give her a chance to not be like me. I knew when I laid eyes on you two, that you’re the connection Higgs has. Having something like that is important to a man. Trust me. Given the kind of lives we have lived, it matters.” 

Gene felt a little embarrassed but humbled upon hearing that. She had been worried about Sam judging the relationship between Higgs and herself, so it brought some comfort. 

“Where are you and Louise going to go?” Gene asked curiously as Sam shrugged. 

“Not sure. Louise and I were up North for a long time, two years. It’s nice up there if you still plan on making the journey. Lou just turned four, and now that she’s talking and interacting with others besides me, I realized I needed to allow her to make connections. I can’t shelter her forever. That’s why we ended up back in the states. I’m seeing how things have changed since the BTs left then I’ll make up my mind if I want to raise her here.”

“Aren’t you worried about the UCA finding out you’re alive?” Gene asked as Sam nodded then looked over at her. 

“I should be asking you the same thing.” Sam smirked for a moment as Gene laughed quietly. “What are you going to do when Higgs wakes up?” 

Gene shrugged, rubbing her temple before she sniffled. Black tar ran down her nose and she cursed at herself. Sam didn’t seem to mind though, didn’t seem to care she had the BT plague. Then again Gene found out long ago he had DOOMs much like Higgs so he was more or less immune. Whatever Louise was too, she also had immunity. 

Gene sighed as Sam shook his head, feeling pity towards her as his brows furrowed for a moment. 

“I want us to keep going North, get far away from the states and our old lives. Higgs shouldn’t have to be in hiding like he has been for years, and I should be free to go where I want. My time here is going to be short, I deserve to see everything I can before then. Higgs deserves to be happy too.” 

“How are you certain you’re going to die?” Sam asked as Gene looked at him curiously, wondering if he was trying to blow smoke up her ass with false hope. 

“The doctors said so. I was told many times.”

Sam nodded. “Well, if it helps a lot of people told me Lou was going to die. Now she’s a fussy four year old that likes wandering off on her own and getting into trouble.” 

Gene let out a laugh. “Why are you telling me this?” 

“I’m telling you this because people are not always right. I think it's a good idea you want to live life to the fullest, but don’t count yourself short just yet.”

“That your way of saying ‘I hope you survive’?” 

Sam chuckled. “Don’t push your luck. You care for my arch nemesis, remember?” 

“As long as you don’t try to hurt him, there’s no quarrel between us.” Gene said as a matter of fact.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Sam said and then he quickly rose up, seeing Louise coming over towards them. Gene could see something had startled the little toddler as Sam furrowed his brows. 

“Lou, what’s wrong honey?” He asked, and before Sam could further question why Louise left the safety of the hideout, she pointed to where it was at and mumbled. 

“That bad man is awake.” Louise’s small voice said as Gene could feel her heart race against her chest. Sam looked up towards her and gave a nod, and Gene didn’t hesitate to get up and run towards the bunker while Sam had Louise stay put and help out with dinner. 

There were a million pictures traveling through Gene’s mind as she stormed her way to Higgs. Memories of their times together flooded her brain, starting from the two of them escaping the UCA and then all the way back to when Higgs first saved her from the MULE’s and Homo Demens. Both of them had come a long way in terms of growth as human beings. Looking back on it all, Gene didn’t have any regrets. Regardless of the awful things he had done, or how he had hurt her, Higgs mattered the most. At this point, Gene could have given a damn less if she got to go North at all so long as he was alive. 

Upon reaching the bottom of the bunker, Gene went into the small room and to the makeshift bed Sam had prepared for Higgs. His eyes were glancing around, seemingly trying to find his bearings and come to terms with where he was at. Gene slowly took a step forward, catching Higgs’s gaze from the corner of his eye before his head fully turned to look at Gene. 

“Gene?” Higgs said tiredly as Gene on impulse rushed up, got her knees and pulled Higgs to her chest in a tight embrace. He nearly yelled from the pain of his wounds, and Gene loosened up and mumbled a thousand apologies before peppering his face with soft pecks. Higgs chuckled tiredly, moving his head to escape from her but to no avail. 

“Damn woman you’re smothering me.” Higgs plead with her, his tone albeit exhausting was playful. 

“Sorry--” Gene could feel her bottom lip tremble, eyes watering as she pulled back and stared at Higgs’s eyes. She missed seeing those blue colored spheres looking at her like she was on top of the world. From how he was looking at her, Higgs felt the same. Relief washed over his features as he couldn’t stop staring at Gene, reaching up to cradle her face in the palm of his hand for a moment before resting it to the side.

“I didn’t think you were going to wake up.”

Higgs yawned, wincing a bit as he glanced around the bunker. His concept of time was muddled as he flicked his tongue out over his lips. 

“How long was I down?” He asked as Gene swallowed, wiping away at her eyes. 

“Two months. You were in and out a lot.” 

“Shit, really?” Higgs asked, shock in his voice as he lay his head back down on the pillow and took in a deep breath. More wincing commenced as he slowly unraveled the blanket off of his body, seeing scars where the bullets had penetrated his flesh. It still hurt on the inside, but it wasn’t harrowing like before. From what he could recall anyhow. 

“How did we make it out?” Higgs asked as Gene rubbed the back of her head and sighed while carefully pulling the blanket back over Higgs’s body since he had begun to shiver. It was starting to get cold, and she didn’t want him freezing. 

“It’s kind of a long story.” Gene said as Higgs let out a small laugh followed by a tired smirk as he closed his eyes briefly. 

“I think I got time to kill. Take it from the top sweetheart.” Higgs said as he sighed then his eyes opened, looking off to the side as he saw Louise and Sam. Gene watched as Higgs went from tired and zoning out to alert and dare say, scared. He stared at Sam for a moment, the stoic ex porter giving Higgs a neutral glance as Higgs turned to look at Gene as if she had all the answers in the world at that moment. Shock in his eyes as he searched hers. 

“Sam fucking Bridges, you gotta be kidding me.” 

  
  
  
  



	22. Higgs 11.0

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this is it beautiful folks! Thank you sticking by this wild story and leaving amazing feedback and reviews! I have enjoyed interacting with every single one of you and hope that you'll join me for future stories (I got another Higgs x Gene one in the works!). If you want to make requests, have ideas, or want writing feedback for your own work by me, feel free to contact me via tumblr @savage-rhi. I am always open to help out fellow writers with their work and I'm open to story suggestions for the future. Enjoy the last chapter! :D

**HIGGS 11.0**

Higgs spent a great deal of time recovering, but Gene helped him out every step of the way. By the end of the month, he was back on his feet and walking again without an issue. It took a while for Higgs to build up his strength, and he was thankful someone was there this time around to help. Needless to say, he wasn’t too thrilled with having Sam with them, but he had no choice in the matter. They barely talked to one another save for when something important came up or Louise needed watching. Higgs normally left that to Gene due to his past experiences with the former BB. He’d be lying to himself if he didn’t feel guilty for shooting at her all those years ago. 

While relaxing by a small river, Higgs sighed and dipped his feet into the stream. He was beginning to feel his back heel blister up from the new shoes Sam had provided for him. Begrudgingly, Higgs accepted the gift and now was regretting being nice to his former rival. When he really thought on it, Higgs didn’t hate Sam, not any longer, but there was still unresolved resentment. He had spoken in private with Gene on the issue, getting her feedback that Sam had let bygones be bygones and that Higgs should move on too. Higgs was trying, for her sake. 

There were a lot of changes happening. So much had occurred within the last several months that Higgs was starting to feel overwhelmed by it all. He had no idea his year long partnership with Gene would have blossomed into something beautiful, nor did he expect to come out of his hermit life, take down his former group, and end up saving people he didn’t even know. He could feel the weight of the experiences wash over his mind and body, wondering that if so much happened in so little time, how much was going to change in just a few days or weeks. 

Higgs and the group were close to the border now where the former US meets the North. He was excited for Gene most of all. She would finally get to see what the world has to offer outside of the UCA. He couldn’t help but feel guilty however. It was because of him not paying attention that the MULE shot Gene and she damaged the cargo with the BT plague that ended up making her sick. When Gene finally got the courage to tell Higgs she might have had only five years to live, he felt his soul shatter. Here he was, a former terrorist with no ties to anyone but her, and just as soon as Gene came into his life and made things better, she’d be gone in a blink of an eye. It didn’t seem fair to him, and god willing if there were a way to cheat death, Higgs would have gone through hell and back to make absolutely sure Gene wouldn’t perish in that short amount of time. Higgs wasn’t sure if he could go through with traveling North with Gene, knowing how attached he was, he wasn’t certain how he was going to carry on. 

“Mister bad guy?” The soft sound of little Louise snapped Higgs out of his depressive thoughts on Gene. He looked over at the toddler, weary of her presence. 

“Why do you call me that?” Higgs asked, curious and also growing tired of it. He figured it might have been something Sam had told her to call Higgs when he was dragged into helping him and Gene. 

Louise gave a shrug and sat by him. Higgs was surprised. This was the first time Louise felt comfortable enough to be by his side. He wondered if the child was broken because she seemed to have this resolve to avoid him at all costs. Higgs didn’t think BBs could remember much of their time in a pod, but he had the feeling that somewhere in Louise’s subconscious, she remembered Higgs hurting Sam, her daddy. Higgs was feeling the pain of guilt well up inside him for shooting at her again and he coughed, stifling another to break himself out of the funk. 

“Shouldn’t you be with your daddy?” Higgs asked, breaking the silence as Louise shook her head and began pulling away at strands of grass. 

“No, daddy went to get food. Gene is watching me.” 

“Where is she?” 

“Napping.”

“Oh.” Higgs was amazed for someone so young, Louise was pretty articulate for a child. It was something he couldn’t relate with. Having grown up with his abusive daddy, Higgs had a hard time reaching certain milestones. He made up for it in his intellect but at a cost to how social he was. 

“Daddy and I are going to be gone tomorrow.” 

Higgs nodded. “So I’ve heard.” 

“Are you sad about it?” 

Higgs was taken aback by the question, and as he adjusted his feet in the water he sighed. Not sure how to answer, but he tried to think of what child him would have loved to have heard. 

“Yeah. I am a little bit.” 

“How come?” Louise asked, further putting Higgs in the spotlight. He gave a shrug. 

“It’s going to be weird not hearing you screaming at something interesting every five seconds.” 

Louise laughed at his comment, and Higgs couldn’t help but smile a bit. This was the first time the kid seemed to be alright with him, and he was eating it up despite how he may have appeared on the outside. 

“I’ll miss you and Gene.” Louise said and then got up, her little arms swung around Higgs’s body as she hugged him. Higgs felt his body tense up, not sure how to react. To be with Gene was one thing, but to have affection from a child was a foreign concept to him. He felt something inside though instinctively tell him to raise a shaking arm up and return the embrace. Higgs gave her a small pat on the back before she let go and looked up, seeing Sam nearby with a new kill and some supplies. 

“Hey daddy!” Louise exclaimed as Sam smiled and gestured with his head. 

“Go back to Gene. Daddy has to talk to Higgs.” 

Oh fucking great. Higgs thought to himself, already preferring the kids company over Sam’s. Higgs turned his attention back to the water and took his feet out, drying them with a small towel Gene managed to get for him on a supply run. Sam sat beside Higgs, slamming his hunt down on the ground beside him and sat cross legged. There was an understanding silence between the two as they both gathered their thoughts, with Sam finally being the one to have the courage to speak up. 

“How you holding up?” He asked, his voice gruff per usual. 

“Better. Don’t you think you’re still being a little touchy feely?” Higgs sarcastically remarked, getting a small smile to briefly form on Sam as he shook his head. 

“You still going to be a bastard to me?” 

“Until the end of time.” Higgs said as a matter of fact, both of them chuckling quietly. 

“You should be thanking me.” Sam said. 

“For what?” Higgs quirked a brow, thinking that once more Sam was full of shit. 

“If I hadn’t stopped you back then, prevented the sixth extinction, you could have missed out on all of this.” 

“Nearly dying again and hurting the person I’ve grown to love? Yeah, sounds like a treat.” Higgs said with a sigh, not bothering to hide his sarcasm once more. Sam smirked a little bit then allowed silence to come back between them. He knew Higgs was stubborn, and decided not to press more salt into the wound there when it came to their fight. 

“Tell me something Bridges, the life you lead with your little girl, is it worth it?” 

“What do you mean?” 

Higgs furrowed his brows, not sure how to word his thoughts but eventually he spoke up again. 

“You almost lost her from what Gene told me, after our fight on the beach. You had to cut ties with the UCA, Fragile, and others just because you tried to resuscitate the little brat. That was more than enough grounds to get you in deep shit, but you did it anyway. Was it worth it?” 

It didn’t take long for Sam to answer, and he spoke so profoundly that it forced Higgs to look over at his former adversary. 

“I’d do it all over again even if it meant she died, because the time I spent with her was worth it all. Even if you won Higgs, I wouldn’t have regretted anything. We all die in the end. That’s why humans make the most of life.” 

Higgs gave a firm nod, turning his attention back to the river as he brought his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs. Sam cleared his throat, getting Higgs’s attention. 

“You’re not thinking of jumping ship on Gene, are you?” Sam asked, concern in his tone.

“I don’t want her to waste the last of her time on me.” Higgs said firmly. “I don’t deserve it after everything I put her through.”

“Bullshit.” Sam said, slugging Higgs in the shoulder. The pain was enough to get him to jolt as he rubbed the spot where Sam punched him. 

“The fuck was that for?” Higgs nearly exclaimed as Sam glared. 

“You don’t get to walk off the board just because you think you’re a shit person. There’s no easy way out, Higgs. Never was. You owe her your life and then some. The girl loves you, you of all people.” Sam had to pause, shaking his head in disbelief all over again. It was still something he had a hard time grasping conceptually given how he knew Higgs personally. 

“You gotta see this journey through until the end, much like you did with your DOOMs. You don’t have it anymore. Gene’s not gone yet so be a man and enjoy your time.” 

“I really am a selfish bastard, aren’t I?” Higgs asked quietly as he shook his head and carded a hand through his hair. When he thought about it, he knew Sam was right. Leaving Gene to her own devices in the North was asking to hurt her all over again, and Higgs felt like he had done enough there. 

“A bastard? Sometimes. Used to taking the easy way out? Definitely.” Sam said simply. 

Higgs was still conflicted, but as he sighed and took a final moment to observe the water cascading by him, he knew what was right in the end. Not just for Gene, but for himself. He needed her as much as she needed him. If they were going to survive with the UCA tracking them down, they had to be there for each other. They were too tied up around each others red strings of fate, their meeting point a knot that glued them for life. 

“You still planning on trying to reintegrate with the UCA?” Higgs asked. 

“In a way. If you ever have kids, you’ll understand.” Sam said. “I do everything for my daughter's sake. That’s what I live for.”

Higgs scoffed, but knew in the end, Sam had a point. He then got up, gesturing that he was going to return to their spot and be with Gene, leaving Sam by the river. Higgs stopped though when Sam grunted, and began to speak. His eyes still on the water. 

“You’re not a bad guy, Higgs.” 

Higgs found himself smiling as he walked away. 

The following morning, Higgs woke up with Gene in his arms. He looked down at her, her body curled up to his own underneath the blankets and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Sam and Louise were long gone, having left in the middle of the night so they could make good timing for where they were heading. Higgs looked up at the makeshift shelter he had built for Gene and himself before embracing her tightly to him. The warmth of her body shielding his from the bitter cold of the new morning. 

Higgs lazily started to play around with Gene’s hair as she slept, making little braids in the wild mess and smiled to himself. This moment making him feel that things were going to be alright in the end, something he hadn’t experienced in recent memory. Right then and there as Higgs watched her, feeling the coarseness of Gene’s hair and hearing the thump of her heartbeat close to his own, he felt at home. That no matter where they’d go up North, and no matter what was going to happen, Gene would be the person he’d go home to. Not the beach, but her. 

“Higgs, what are you doing?” Gene murmured tiredly in her sleep, smiling lazily as she snuggled more into his body. Her head in the crook of his neck, softly inhaling his scent as her head rest upon his chest. 

“Just admiring the view, darlin’.” Higgs replied in a sleepy flirtatious tone before he pressed another soft kiss to the top of her head and stopped fiddling around with the tiny braids he created in her hair. 

“We're almost there Higgs. We’ll be up North today.” Gene said quietly, feeling her body beginning wake itself up over time as she enjoyed the closeness to Higgs. 

“Yeah, it’s gonna be great.” Higgs replied. 

“What do you think we will see?” 

“Who knows, but we got five years or more to enjoy it. What do you want to do first?” 

Higgs could hear Gene’s stomach rumble and the two started to laugh, albeit in a tired manner as sleep was still trying to consume them. 

“Getting food sounds good. I’m starving.” Gene said in between laughs before Higgs adjusted himself and her so that he was looking right down at her face. The longing and acceptance in her eyes made Higgs want to tear up. He couldn’t have imagined having Gene back then when he was the vessel for Amelie’s plan. He could foresee the future of mankind, how everything would perish when the inevitable would come, but for the first time in his life, Higgs didn’t care about any of that. Merely happy to be alive and sharing it with another human. 

“I love you.” Higgs said softly, speaking those words for the first time in his life and meaning them. 

Gene smiled, inching forward to kiss him. Somehow in the end, they made it. And somehow she knew deep down they’d find a way to stay together. 


	23. Bonus: Higgs x Gene (18+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place during Chapter 15 of SOA. Instead of the fade to black, readers get to see what happened between Higgs and Gene the night they shared their first kiss with each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright you thirsty bitches, thots, Higgbos (see what I did to bimbo? hahaha!), Gene lovers and Higgs x Gene folk here ya go. Pure wholesome smut. Warning, this is the first time I've written anything this sexual since like 2012 or 2013. I'm rusty AF and I'm still trying to get better at sexual scenes, so bear with me. If you make it through this, you have my blessings and your first child won't be sacrificed. Have fun! :D

They had been silent ever since parting from their last kiss. Higgs was too flustered to speak and in shock that Gene returned his affections. Meanwhile, Gene running on the high from the adrenaline rush she had from helping Higgs take out Homo Demens, was desperate to have more contact with Higgs. Occasionally they would look at each other, smiling and letting out nervous laughs as Gene guided them both to the Bridges safe house. It didn’t take long for Gene to hack the security system, punching in a code that would trick the computer into thinking she was the only one using this place for the night. 

As they rode the elevator down and into the private quarters, Higgs’s hand slowly reached out to grasp Gene’s. He took pleasure in how soft and cold her skin felt from the night and drew Gene in closer to his body, his nose gently combing through her hair as he smelled her. Gene always had a sweet smell to her even when she was covered in debris and dirt from traveling. Higgs recalled a night where Gene allowed him to get close to her while they slept, his arm around her waist while his face was respectfully distant from the back of her head. Her scent invaded his nostrils though, and Higgs remembered having a hard time sleeping because of how good it was to be close. 

Higgs stopped and began nibbling on the back of Gene’s ear, being gentle with his actions before his tongue darted out to give a teasing lick to the outer part of her ear. That got a gasp out of Gene, and Higgs felt his body tremble from excitement getting that sound to come out of her. 

Gene finally gathered the courage to look up at Higgs, her breathing had already begun to grow more shallow. The flick of his tongue sent a shock through her, and she ended up hooking her arms around his shoulders and pulled him into an open mouth kiss. While she kissed him, Gene thought about that night Higgs had tricked her into thinking he sided with Homo Demens, and that he was going to hurt her. She shouldn’t have had impure thoughts during the confrontation, but when his darted out and touched her face, Gene became aroused. Looking back on it, she blamed it on the small crush she had been developing on Higgs for the year they had been working together. Gene never had the guts to admit it to herself, but she had been pining for Higgs for a long time now. She was relieved to experience that he felt the same towards her. 

They both tumbled into the room, the automatic doors shut with a thud as Gene and Higgs continued kissing each other. Their actions became more sloppy however, feeling the weight of their gear and clothes begin to constrict whatever movements they could get away with. Higgs was the first to break away, his forehead pressing to Gene’s affectionately as they breathed against each other exhausted. The night had wrecked both of them physically, but they were too caught up in each other to stop what was happening. 

Higgs watched as Gene moved away and started to undress. His throat bobbed as his eyes roamed over Gene, trying to keep his focus on her face for fear that if his eyes glanced anywhere else, there would be no way he could control himself. By the time she was naked before him, Higgs was in awe. He had briefly seen Gene before at the hot spring, but he didn’t realize until now how perfect she looked. Higgs was also enamored with the confidence Gene was showing in her gaze towards him. She didn’t look frightened, nor ashamed of her appearances. She didn’t hide from him, and Higgs could feel himself growing nervous as he realized his turn was next. 

Higgs shyly began to strip out of his clothes, and at one point he hesitated, blinking a few times as if unsure of what to do. Gene understood he was feeling self-conscious, Higgs having told her before how he didn’t much care for his face or body. She took it upon herself to calmly approach him, helping Higgs pull off his shirt and pants until he eventually was just as barren as Gene was. 

Higgs swallowed nervously as he watched Gene look over his body, some part of his brain screaming that what he had to show for wasn’t acceptable. He was surprised when Gene’s hands began to travel over his shoulders and chest, feeling his skin and his scars carefully as if she were going to break glass if she were too rough. Higgs’s eyes closed, his body inclining forward as he leaned into the soothing touches. 

Gene pressed her body to Higgs’s and pushed her face into the crook of his neck, peppering his skin with soft kisses while her hands continued to explore. She enjoyed feeling every rough texture of his scars, and the soft texture of his flesh that hadn’t been harmed by fighting or his daddy. The groans escaping his mouth were like pure music to her ears, letting Gene know he was enjoying himself. She braced herself for the possibility that this would have been too much for Higgs given his issues, and relief washed over her knowing he was fine with her actions. 

Higgs let out a throaty sigh as Gene stopped her ministrations and walked over to the shower. Higgs stood there, a few feet away and watched as Gene got the water running. He wasn’t sure if he was welcomed or not, but to his surprise when Gene smiled and gestured for him to follow, Higgs didn’t hesitate to rush in. As soon as the door shut, Higgs’s arms immediately went around Gene’s waist as he pulled her back to his chest, his chin resting on the top of her head as their bodies swayed against the water. As tense as his body felt, Higgs didn’t care if nothing transpired after this moment. His touch starved body was skyrocketing with impulses and desire for Gene. Feelings he had never experienced towards anybody bogged down his mind like a powerful drug, and he was shocked it was just from holding her so intimately to his chest. 

Gene in good conscience knew that Higgs must’ve been experiencing a plethora of emotions. So much that she was half tempted to end what was happening just so he could take in the moment and enjoy the bond that was beginning to form. However, Gene could feel he was getting more aroused by the second and she would be lying to herself if she denied that she too was craving Higgs. The experiences she shared with him, those little moments of intimacy ravaged her memories as she closed her eyes and thought longingly. Gene was kicking herself, how did she not see the signs sooner? How did she become blinded to how he truly felt? There could have been more moments just like this had either of them had the courage to act. Gene understood both Higgs and her were stubborn people, but that’s what she loved about him. 

Higgs watched as Gene was the first to exit the shower, his arms leaving her body as he soon followed behind. He felt his hands shaking, wanting to touch her skin once again. Higgs was relieved when Gene stopped and turned to face him. Her hands were once more searching his body, giving him enough confidence to return the gestures. He was careful with Gene, making sure every touch was deliberate and gentle. The last thing he wanted to do was make her think back to Deeter, how rough the man had been with her and how bad he attempted to hurt Gene with brute strength. As they toyed around with each other's flesh, Higgs jumped when Gene’s hand went over the cigarette burns on his arms. He stopped abruptly and could feel his confidence, this resolve she brought out in him disappear. Higgs couldn’t help but think back to his daddy, how anytime he begged and pleaded for affection as a child it was met with a fist. He felt embarrassed suddenly as tears began to threaten their escape from the corners of his eyes. Of all times, why did this have to happen?

Gene could tell something was wrong. Higgs showed all the telltale signs he was thinking back to the abuse he had endured. Her heart went out to him in more ways than one. It was in this moment that Gene wished she could have saved Higgs from that life a long time ago. It was impossible, a fever dream perhaps, but no one, no man deserved to go through what Higgs had endured growing up. Gene reached up to caress his face, letting Higgs know that she was there for him. She grew more flushed as he gently took her free hand and kissed the underside of it, peering into her eyes like she was home. His home. 

They started with soft kisses again, their movements all about touch and comfort, letting each other know they were safe to be around like this. At one point, Higgs and Gene embraced, his chin resting on the crook of Gene’s shoulder as he breathed deeply, shutting his eyes and taking a moment to relish in the fact that this was real. That, someone, loved how he was inside and out. He didn’t deserve it, in fact, of all people, Higgs felt bad for Gene that she had to be the first to see him for all that he was. 

“I’m not going to hurt you.” Gene murmured into Higgs’s neck as she pressed a soft kiss to his pulse, a low moan escaping his mouth. 

“Higgs, I’m not going to hurt you.” She was sincere as humanly possible, reassuring Higgs that he was safe with her. He always would be. Gene couldn’t for the life of her imagine hurting Higgs like his daddy had done like so many had who come before. 

Gene was surprised when Higgs took the lead, guiding her to the bed and allowing both their bodies to collide into the mattress. She smiled at him as they faced each other, longingly looking over Higgs’s features as he rubbed small circles into her flesh. Gene knew at the rate they were going, if Higgs took the plunge, there’d be no turning back on her end. The desire she had felt towards him was blossoming into something she wouldn’t be able to shove back into Pandora’s box. She needed Higgs, terribly. 

One kiss was all it took to make Gene’s body come to life. She yearned to be a part of Higgs in the most intimate way two humans could possibly achieve. Gene had several partners in her time, but she never felt this much passion for anybody before. It was consuming, so much to the point that Gene didn’t realize she was on top of Higgs, kissing him deeply as if he were the only source of air she had. 

“Gene--” Higgs breathed harshly, snapping Gene out of her actions as she looked down at his face. Concern etching her features at how winded he was. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“I don’t--Gene I don’t know how to--I can’t. I’m not good enough for you. I don’t deserve you like this.”

“Shh.” Gene hushed as her head inclined towards his own, she gives a faint nuzzle in return for one. 

“It’s okay, Higgs. Everything is okay.” Gene said gently as she watched as Higgs closed his eyes. As desperate as her body felt to have Higgs, she was more than ready to stop. Maybe this was too much too fast. Gene recalled he had never gone all the way with anybody, save for other sexual acts. She was surprised when Higgs suddenly reached up and pulled Gene into a sensual kiss, his hands tangling up in her hair as he moaned against her mouth. Her arms found themselves snaking around his shoulders before Higgs began to shift, his body now on top of hers, pressing all his weight against her, eliciting deep moans from her mouth. 

Now that he had pushed away his insecurities, Higgs only had one thing on his mind. He wanted to pleasure Gene to the point where her past experiences wouldn’t count for what he was going to do to her. As Higgs ravished Gene’s mouth with his, moving to bite and suckle along the soft flesh of her throat, he allowed all the tension he had been building up towards her out of its cage. Whatever he had been denying himself, this love if he could call it anything, intoxicated him. It didn’t take too long for Higgs to become bolder in his actions, biting and kissing in places on Gene’s body he couldn’t imagine anyone else but him touching. Her moans and her hands gripping whatever she could hold onto from him made Higgs groan harsh against her skin as he moved his body down, right where he wanted to be. 

The noises that left Gene’s body were animal-like. She was gasping for air at times, body squirming from the places his tongue and mouth touched as her head fell against the pillows. Higgs had to hold her hips down to keep her back from arching. Her body was like a beautiful instrument and he enjoyed pulling at the strings to entice the beautiful sounds that rushed past her mouth. 

Gene had become a writhing mess by the end of it, however, Higgs stopped his actions upon feeling that Gene’s body was teetering to the edge. He was surprised in the haze of lust when Gene pulled him to her, mouth smashing against his roughly as her tongue swept over his own tasting herself. 

Higgs was so caught up in the kiss that he didn’t notice Gene had taken the reigns once more, flipping them so that she was back on top. Her lips began to trail down his body and Higgs had to suppress himself from leaping forward to have his way with her. His eyes shut as he could feel Gene’s breath getting lower and lower. As soon as he felt her tongue along his hip bone, Higgs reached an arm down and gently tugged at Gene’s hair. 

“You okay?” Gene asked hoarsely as Higgs nodded, biting his bottom lip for a time as he tried to gather his thoughts. 

“Not this time.” Higgs breathed.

“How come?” Gene asked in between panting as Higgs let out a deep and nervous breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding back. 

“Cause it might be over before we get started.” He said with a small smirk, pupils were blown wide as Gene smiled at him. The apprehension he once had was gone, replaced by confidence and desire. 

“I want you,” Higgs said, swallowing a nervous sigh as he looked up at Gene hovering above his body. 

The trust Higgs had in his eyes made Gene pause for a moment to take it all in. To see him open with her and not scared in the slightest made her pulse rise. Gene had to do a double-take, realizing it was her that made him feel this way. She was the reason his breaths were shallow, that his body shuddered, he staring at her eyes showing he was lovesick. There was a source of pride that walled up inside her gut as Gene took in a deep breath, beginning to falter some as they’d finally be joined in a matter of moments. She wanted the experience to be good for Higgs, and some part of her worried it wouldn’t be alright. 

Higgs could see that the confidence Gene displayed moments ago stifled. His brows furrowed out of concern as his hands reached to her hips, gently grasping them against his fingertips. That got Gene to snap out of her thoughts as she stared down at his blue eyes and Higgs gave a nod. He felt tongue-tied, his stomach churning in knots and fluttering all at the same time as he braced himself. A deep gasp left his throat as Gene lowered herself onto him. Higgs felt his blood freeze in place as the warmth of her body enveloped him. The whimper of a moan that left Gene’s lips made his spine quake as she began to move. 

There were no words to describe the sensations his body felt. The experience, not quite what he was expecting but worthwhile. The pace Gene had set for them both was beyond pleasurable. He could feel every inch of her body trying to keep him bound to her. As their hands began to roam over each other's forms, Higgs felt euphoria wash over him like a powerful drug to his veins. Beneath all the physical stimulation, his feelings, his passion for Gene became something not even he could fathom. 

For Gene, it was all too easy to lose track of time as their bodies were pulled and moved against one another. At some point Higgs leaned up to capture Gene’s mouth into a heated kiss, his arms wrapping around her body as her legs snaked around his waist holding him to her. She could feel the build-up under her flesh reaching a precipice from the new rhythm Higgs had set. His breath, the needy noises he made, sounded primal. Gene could feel her body growing limp by the second as Higgs seemed to gain more confidence in his control, pushing her to the limit. 

The coil snapped, and Gene’s body convulsed as wave after wave of pleasure cascaded throughout her abdomen, reaching her feet, and somehow making its way up her spine. She could feel goosebumps liter her skin, the smell of Higgs’s sweat permeating her flesh as she moaned loudly calling his name out while her walls fluttered and contracted against him, pulling him further. 

It didn’t take long for Higgs to lose control, his hands digging into Gene’s hair and sides as his hips snapped. He lost all reason, not even caring for a moment how rough he might have been as his body couldn’t take the build-up any longer. The fact Gene was pulsating around him didn’t help things. When he came, Higgs shouted into Gene’s shoulder. His moaning loud and almost near a whimper as his mouth clamped over her neck and groaned against her pulse point. He bit from time to time, eliciting pleasurable noises from Gene as her head rolled back to the side to give him better access. Their bodies both shuddered, feeling the last of their orgasms pass through, and then Higgs leaned forward with Gene in his arms, laying on top of her as they panted heavily. 

Gene’s hands began to card through Higgs’s hair, feeling the moisture of his sweat against the soft pads of her fingertips before he pulled his head up to look at her. Their foreheads met as they nuzzled, noses touching barely as their tired breaths bounced off one another. There were no words that could be said as both were overwhelmed by their actions. Elation and bliss towards each other never once faltering as they lay tangled up in one another. 

As Gene caught her breath to the side, feeling the weight of their activities starting to drain her body, she was surprised when Higgs tilted her head back up towards him and began to kiss her. The movement of his mouth was slow but enough to indicate this wasn’t going to be the last time he had his way with her for the night. 

Higgs, never believing he could love someone so much, snaked his hand over to Gene’s palm that was lying face up. His calloused hand gripping it as her fingertips clamped over his own, sinking into the bed. 


End file.
